I know I hark on about this, but honestly one of the greatest things to come out of blogging has to be all of the lovely people you get to meet along the way. I’m thankful for the different points of view, lifestyles and stories that have been brought to my attention through readers and other bloggers. During Black History Month I’m inviting other bloggers and readers too, to share their posts on Circus Mums. Saabirah Lawrence is one such blogger and I’m so happy to share some of her words on Black History Month here with you.
Please show her some love!
Over to you Saabirah!
For a long time artistic or creative careers weren’t an option for black children. It wasn’t an option because our parents wanted us to have security. Our parents wanted us to understand that we must obtain the best job roles possible in a world were black isn’t even seen as equal, in order to live a life of bliss. How many times have we heard the short stories of those who confessed their love for painting to their parents, only to be told that painting doesn’t pay the bills. This obviously wasn’t the case for everyone, but it’s enough for it to be a common thing we can laugh about today.
Black people are naturally creative people, so it must take a lot of focus and determination to be able to hide that authentic creative side in order to succeed. Although some may not hide it, it can be difficult to find a balance, especially when you’re in education. I think now it is easier due to the easy access to the internet.
There’s so much in our culture; the colours, the music, the food, the clothes, the dancing. There’s so much creative expression in our culture, it’s then limiting to say “pick security or creativity”. We now know we no longer have to pick, the accessibility to certain spaces and fields has allowed us to open doors, and create job opportunities that once never existed.
Whatever it is that you enjoy is just as important as the things that can make you money. Being able to enjoy your job is relatively a new concept. We worked to earn a living, provide for our families and to enjoy luxuries like holidays.
The idea that there’s a lack of security and prosperity in creative industries comes from not knowing much about what it all entails. We are essentially figuring it out as we go along. The first few people to create blogs and YouTube accounts had to figure a few things out for themselves, whereas now you can google or watch videos on a lot of the things we might be stuck on. There’s no certainty that these careers will last forever, that’s what our parents feared. We will always need doctors and lawyers, will we always need content creators and influencers? Of course! The impact influencers are having on sales and the growth of a business is huge. We are reclaiming our voices in these big companies that would normally just give us a bunch of products and services we didn’t really need nor want. Whereas now we are able to say whether or not we like what these companies are giving us.
Art has so many forms, it’s an expression of self. Freedom of self expression has aloud black people to find healthy ways to manage their mental health. A topic within our community that needs to be addressed more. Self expression is therapy for some and an escape from the pressures of the world. These people who love art in its many forms are now proving black people with spaces and opportunities to speak on the many issues within our community, which makes it that little bit easier to go out into the world. We have positive spaces that encourage thoughts and conversation, giving us the chance to live our lives without harbouring feelings.
We are taking risks in order to better our communities, we are working to give our community the opportunities and freedom ourselves and past generations didn’t have. Encourage those who want to explore creative avenues, point them in the direction of some that have done what they want to do, get involved, show interest and be supportive.
