Bloggers bring minds together
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Friday April 12, 2019 13:32
Dubbed #CreativeConnect , the initiative is by Towela “Kams” Tembo and Maipelo Gabang . The platform assists in strengthening relationships among contributors to the Botswana creative scene. It also provides opportunities for such users to connect with each other and discuss critical issues that affect them.
In an interview with Tembo, she said the facility includes a laser focus on providing each creative with the necessary support for their creative journeys. She explained that the initiative was inspired by the day-to-day experiences of the majority of the creative industry in Botswana who work tirelessly to turn their passion into an income generator.
“They make a slow progression as a result of several inter and intra industry related issues which are outlined through our main point-of-contact. Our YouTube Podcast releases short videos each Thursday with carefully researched and deeply articulated perspectives to further enforce our mandate,” she said.
Even though Tembo said they do not count themselves as creative experts, she explained that they could identify with the challenges that creative analysts were not willing to talk about. She said it was important for the creative industry to discuss those aspects of growth and learn from others. She explained that through the blog, they hoped other artists got inspired to analyse the challenges that the industry was facing and even better than we have.
She said the initiative was backed up with the real-life experiences about the highs and lows of navigating the creative scene in Botswana. Both founders of the initiative are actively engaged in promoting the growth of the industry. Tembo said the blog goes hand-in-hand with their individual missions and would therefore ensure longevity and continuity in both quality and delivery. “We began the joint Instagram Live interview sessions in November 2018 and the podcast started making it’s debut beginning of February. The content structure for the podcast under the initiative will shed light on the issues facing creatives. This is from first, a personal level, a community level in terms of how we relate with co-creatives and later at industry-level where we’ll discuss in-depth the creative-client business relationship and how to improve it in a way that serves both parties,” she said.
Tembo explained that last month, they looked at providing ‘starter kits’ in the form of basic information to people who would like to start pursuing their crafts at a hobbyist level and how to maintain motivation by feeding that interest and nurturing the creative outlet to bring forth personal satisfaction. This month, the duo geared up and addressed the transition from being a hobbyist to entering the industry with an informed outlook of where it is at in realistic terms.
However, the road had not being smooth for the pair as they experienced several setbacks. Their main challenge was difficulty in accessing or obtaining information in terms of statistics of the creative industry in Botswana.
It was also difficult for the two to get their work to the public. However, they adamant that with consistency, their blog would become a reputable movement that Botswana creative minds see themselves in.