Letters from Isolation – Eyel Naim
Verity received a lot of letters for our philosophical literary review in French (with some in English), about living in confinement during the recent crisis for our « L’abécédaire des confinées ». We couldn’t print all of them, but here’s one from musician and songwriter Eyel Naim.
10 May 2020 Paris.
Dear Artists all over the world,
In these new times, where a world pandemic is reducing our mobility and challenging the way our culture and society has behaved up until today, that’s the exact time to do what we’re supposed to and do best, which is to create. Our role as artists is to reflect on society and reality. Our creation is not just a song, a painting, a poem, a book or a movie. In a larger scale our creation is a part of a social interconnection via culture (sport is very welcome in its contribution as well). A simple artist’s need of expression contributes to society by its positive natural way of communication, entertaining, connecting people and creating job opportunities and simultaneously generating ideas, all via a healthy system built by values, culture and humanism.
In a society that has turned ill by a pandemic, a society which seems in panic, manifested by over production and mobility, competition, domination, conflict disorder and control seeking. A society which has reached a burn-out. Let us shift our intention as artists from being fame seeking to seeking well being, of ourselves and of our environment, from mass production to creating meaningful content with real messages to influence and engage in society, each one as much as he/she can. As humans, we build our habits, they become our environment & eventually reflect in our society. We are responsible for making these changes in the plot of society. We must take the responsibility and “be the change we want to see in the world” as said Mahatma Gandhi.
I am not an idealist, and I’m aware that some trained tendencies are quite hard to change and it can be difficult to shift some habits into new behaviours and yet, as artists, we must act.
Let’s influence with healthy ideas, creating and reflecting on today’s situation in the world. Let’s create openly, mutually, elevate one another, support each other and seek mutual success, as part of our role and duty to society. That can be a place to begin with.
These words are made for those who can act accordingly.
Sincerely yours,
