I dive into this conversation about creativity as a feminine quality, and its relation to sustainable change, social commentary and powerful movements, which therefore means it MUST be political.

If politics is "the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status" then creativity definitely has something, or actually a lot, to do with that! It may not always be brash and bold but it is a tool that people have employed since the beginning of time to get their point across and to encourage change.

See my instagram post of my photos to see what I was capturing at age 22

When I was 22 I was interested in street photography. Capturing mundane moments, interactions, things that represented the world we were living in. 

I never got too close, I was always the observer and I actually wanted to be invisible so as not to interrupt anything. Even so, it’s not something that I would do now, ethically it doesn’t feel right.

And yet, at that time, I see it was my way of exploring humanity, of trying to understand and make sense of the structures I found myself in.

In today’s podcast I refer a lot to these photos, the language that I didn’t have to explain why some things I saw didn’t feel right and were connected to misogynistic conditioning OR to explain how incredible moments between humans can be, tender loving and kind.

They mark a chapter in my creative journey, in my quest to create art that helps people feel seen and struggles be recognised.

My journal notes that I read at the end:

It’s always been political.

The politics under the politics.

What did that girl want? She wanted to comment. She wanted to make a difference. She wanted to share what she saw through her eyes.

She wanted to be free. She wanted to grow. She wanted to scream but she didn’t know what about, but she knew something wasn’t right. She just didn’t have the language. She wanted to be invisible and have the eyes. She wanted to see and be like LOOK RIGHT FUCKING HERE, this is real, this is happening. 

The power is in the hands of the few, yes. And the few underestimate the many. Especially the quiet ones. The anxious ones. Especially the women working through their shit, feeling all their pain. Asking why.

The newspaper clippings are still in the cupboard, covered in post it notes. Intelligent enquiries. How can these be used? Time has passed and the words get to come through me now. I found the language. I drew my map because the one they gave me was wrong. I draw because it’s a message, to myself in the moments when all is lost. Creative breadcrumbs. AND for those who are searching too. We get to do it together. We were never meant to do it alone.

So, don’t worry if we don’t shout, the quiet consistent murmurs are getting louder, they’re the heartbeat, the rhythm of the revolution. And they’re here to stay.

Thank you for joining me here, I'd love to hear from you at sophie@thefireflycreatrix.com with any thoughts, feedback or requests for content discussion!

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