Guest Editor: Fleur Boya
The dictionary defines creativity as the use of imagination or original ideas to create something; inventiveness – but it’s so much more than that. Creativity is the driving force that allows ordinary people to bring something powerful to life for a greater purpose. Creativity is a tool to convey a message, a tool for change.
As an oil painter, I use portraiture to achieve a range of things – to tell stories, raise awareness, fight injustice, engage in activism and promote the rights of the oppressed. This and many other messages can be amplified through several other creative means.
Photography immortalises special moments, fashion conveys a message through style, poetry uses the power of words to tug on our heartstrings and paintings help us to reimagine the world in new ways. Creativity has no floor or ceiling, no limitations or rules, no beginning and certainly no end. It has no look or appearance – all it has is a message.
So knowing that creativity has the power to provoke our thoughts and feelings – why not use it as a tool to drive change? Why not dig deep and harness control of our imagination to achieve a greater goal? Justice, peace, education, awareness, healing.
The aim of this month’s issue is to spotlight incredible people from all parts of the creative spectrum and inspire you to harness your own creativity and use it as a much-needed weapon of change.