Akangjungla
The journey of art in itself is power and healing. Any creative art is an irreplaceable creation. It is immeasurable and unbounded. It is a transferable work and can be taken up anywhere worldwide. The prospect of constantly exploring new and innovative ways of artistic expressions makes it very marketable. Once complete, art has a life of its own. It has a sense of infinity and purpose.
Creative arts in the modern times have moved on from the basic definition with its large possibility of translating the skills and imagination into a full-fledged vocation. Thus, today art is more than just the expression of human emotions and inspiration. It is a whole advantageous industry in itself.
In the global field, the creative arts offer a huge range of profession choices. It will come as a surprise to many that there are over hundred jobs that require human imagination and inventiveness. Industries like film making, advertising and marketing, copywriting and content writing, graphic design, art/painting and music are considered among the high-paying jobs.
However, the idea of making a stable livelihood through the medium of creative arts is a distant idea in the Naga culture. Thinking about studying art comes with the complexity of first convincing oneself, the parents and family and then the society.
In a state like Nagaland where the regular government job is considered as the absolute option, the predictability of having a career in creative art is likely being just ‘self-employed.’ It is often looked at as a hardship with no promise for future prospect and almost like giving in to poverty.
There is no denying that having a career in creative arts, like any other, comes with its own list of challenges. Finding a balance between the artistic and the professional mindset can be daunting. The precincts between the working time and the free time are often unclear. The greatest concerns would be the inconsistent earning and irregular work schedules.
Like a dim light in the end of the dark tunnel, the recent initiative of a Naga artist is bringing a shift to the understanding and perspective of creative arts among the present generation. ‘Prism’ is a short term non-residential school for people in creative arts including musicians, singers, and songwriters, worship leaders, artists, and dancers, people in media and production and book authors.
The sessions mainly engage in interactions, exchange of ideas and experiences. There are also exclusive talks from professional experts in the field of music, media, and sound etc.
The heart of this school is to raise up “powerful people with character and excellence.” Worship and friendship are the two core elements of this school. Basically laying its foundation on Christian belief, ‘Prism’ hopes to help the "creatives" encounter the ‘True Light, be released, and be positioned to bring an influence of Heaven through their unique and authentic colours in terms of their creativity, strength and anointing.’
With the vision to facilitate the students to be strong in their identity, ‘Prism’ dreams to build a community of creative people who will impact and transform the world.
Today, the millennial and gen z everywhere, Nagaland included, are exploring areas that spark their interest and not settling on a career just for making money. It will take almost a miracle for all to agree on the choices and decisions one make but change looks something like ‘Prism.’
To make a mark in this new trait, people who choose any creative arts as the only career option cannot fall into the trap of stable job. The battle to survive is tough. Only those willing to make the challenging call can attain the ultimate goal. Eventually, passion and hard work can take anyone only as far as they would want to go.
Feedback and comments can be sent to akangjungla@gmail.com
