In a world of confirmations and calculated speculations, there isn’t much room these days for investing in creative pursuits that have the potential to crumble and fall. Concepts that stand no assurance are – so it seems – fleeting.

But, not all the time and not with every creative mind. For example, Cape Town kids seem to be pumping out insane ideas that shout a big “F**K YOU” to the commercial prossies whoring themselves for cash off the masses. Below the line and off the wall, ideas are being oxidized with new direction. Creatives in CT are making people question the things they think they know best.

Such peeps are our lovely friends from Word of Art – a non profit initiative that is fueling creative growth in South Africa. It’s all about challenging, embracing and encouraging change. From agent to curator to manager to producer, when it comes to Word of Art they are turning things upside down. Some of SA’s most prolific illustrators and urban artists are now being managed by Word of Art, forming a creative collaborative that colours projects with freedom of expression. With Shani Judes and Ricky Lee Gordon as the force behind it all, aesthetic vignettes are transforming into resourceful, inventive below the line marketing strategies.

F*ck speedy profitable “good enoughs”, they are simply used to get the best for yourself and quickly! We all like to bargain, up or down. Bargains mean speedy self-benefitting conclusions. Society invades us with expectations and synonyms of success, handing us graphs of progress and tellings us where we went wrong.

Yet it seems that the fear of success surpasses the fear of failure. It’s easier to deal with than to risk that pseudo-comfort and actually reach that full potential, which they love to tell us we have. Well, Word of Art is an initiative that is showing no hesitation, not one little speck of mediocre settlement.

Embarking on a Peter Pan philosophy, Word of Art is turning inspiration into ingenuity. An ingenuity that arrests mainstream thought and drives inspiration back into society. Just like Wendy, Word of Art is reminding us how to reach for the sky.

http://www.word-of-art.co.za

http://www.writeonafrica.org







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