Just like in many elections before, a good number of creatives this year participated in the September 16 General Election.
According to the unofficial results, the outcome is a mixed bag, as some managed to get the voter’s nod while others have hit a snag. That is the nature of each and every race. Some do prevail and others fail.
That is why it is important for the victors to welcome their triumphs with a sense of respect for their opponents and celebrate in a manner that does not cause injury to anyone.
For those who failed, the courage to dare oneself to vie for a public position is in itself a mark of excellence. The fact that one fails to earn the required public trust to see you off the line, does not mean your ambition and dreams were flawed in any way.
Everyone will have their time to dine with the kings. When you do not succeed, it does not hurt to try again. All of those who failed to make it in their respective candidatures, feel encouraged to dust yourself and try again next time you get a chance.
It always brings a good feeling when the public is placing its trust on products from the creative industry by entrusting with positions such as Member of Parliament and ward councilors.
For long, the common notion has been that the industry is filled with drenches of the society who are good-for-nothing. Individuals who cannot be relied upon to lead any community in the society.
But in recent years, trends have shown there is a big shift in the make-up of the creative community and the way people are also treating them. If we go back in the last two decades, we have seen a number of creatives making it to the August House.
We can count names such as ‘Soldier’ Lucius Banda, Bon Kalindo, Billy Kaunda, Joseph Tembo, Malume Bokosi and Bauleni Mmana aka Dr Crowd. That outlay is a vote of confidence on how much confidence are Malawians placing on artists.
It is with little wonder that more doors continue to open for artists to make their way to the house of laws. It shows how much the artists have used their profiles to build life away from their artistic bases to make a contribution at a higher level.
That is not to say their work as artists is not worthy. Far from it. The impact that their talents have goes a long way in the lives of people. Art meets people in their most intimate moments when they are confronted with various challenges.
It has the ability to penetrate through the tiny walls to make friendship with those hit with loneliness, to heal the broken souls and offer courage to those haunted by fear. That is the descending power of art.
That is why I will make a simple plea to all my brothers and sisters who have made the jump to the August House: do not betray the crafts that helped build yo9ur names. Do not walk away on people who love and support your art.
Along that schedule, find a little escape to go back to do what we have always known you for. There can never be a better way to say thank you to your supporters than that. Once again, congratulations to all winners and tough luck to all who failed to make it.
