Addressing Mental Health in the Creative Space

Creatives are going through the most!

Many are forced to take care of their mental health under the difficult circumstances currently being faced by the industry,

which is characterised by cancelled gigs due to Covid-19 and fewer opportunities to earn much-needed income.

The Namibian Society of Composer and Authors of Music (Nascam) is often inundated with calls from desperate artists.

unWrap.online sat down with the key industry player, ahead of World Mental Health Day, marked on Sunday, 10 October,

to hear how artists are dealing with mental health challenges.

Nascam CEO John Max says there is an urgent need for the government and various arts entities to join hands to address

the plight of artists struggling under financial and mental health pressures.

“I have received many calls from people who want to know if there is anything that can help or assist them during these

hard times. It has become really difficult for our members, especially those in music,” he says.

Max adds that they have tried to work on interventions and have reached out to the arts ministry to assist artists.

“We need a structured funding system for the arts. These things of only wanting to make use of artists when the need of

institutions or government come forth, must be well managed. Government, Nascam and art associations must come

together.”

In recent months, more and more artists have taken breaks from the studio, despite facing financial difficulties.

Last week, Ovi-Trap Records became the latest musical entity to put mental health and sanity above career aspirations,

announcing that they would delay the launch of the much-anticipated single ‘Hosea Kutako’, which was planned to be

released last week.

Ovi-Trap Records released a statement this week saying that they want to give their artists a time-out, to help ease the

pressure they are currently facing.

“We feel that it is in the best interest of our artists’ mental health to postpone the release of this single as it applies

pressure to promote the single through radio interviews, performances and activations.”

All for One

South African artist Somizi, who has been going through some highly public personal issues in recent weeks and was in

Namibia over the weekend, shares how he deals with difficult times and how he believes local creatives should deal with

pressures that come with a life in the limelight.

While he points out that South Africans are privileged and essentially spoiled for choice, and able to create their own

opportunities including capitalising on their brands, he believes that these issues can only be dealt with as a group.

A “everyone for himself and God for us all” attitude cannot work to solve the issues facing the industry, he says.

“It has to be a collective of people standing up together and saying this cannot go on. The government can do as much as

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