Sat down on fabulous tapestries by Bidibidi Delos Santos while I listened to not one, but six Creatives from the region. Some takeaways from yesterday’s Creative Talks at the Museo ni Jessie Robredo:
1. Art is fragile; art is immortal. Fragile because if it is not nourished properly, it will die. Immortal in that the influence of the artwork on its audience is a memory that may outlast the physical object itself, and will create a ripple effect on future generations.
2. Bicolano art is a dying animal — we are slowly being devoured by outside influence. Crying over the lost glory of the past will change nothing. But we, the present, can make new songs and jewellery and paintings and sculptures that reflect the Bicol that we know today, in order to pass it on to the future.
3. Courage is the artist’s primary weapon. Without courage, brushes and chisels and guitars are useless.
4. Beauty can come from the most unexpected things — magnificent ceramics begin life as lowly mud.
5. It’s about time that women and non-binary individuals are given the recognition that they deserve as powerful forces in the art world.
6. Creatives must know their true worth — without them, the world would be the color of dust and ashes. This awareness must be reflected in the value they place on their works.
7. There is money in the creative industry — and if the people around you say otherwise, tell them to talk to the guys at OurVibe.PH (now BestOfBicol.ph).
OurVibePH–former home of the #BestofBicol movement, invited creatives from different industries–Dr. Jaya Jacobo (on Gender and Creativity), Rizza Lana-Sebastian (of Lana.ph, on Beauty and Entrepreneurship), Maria Magdamit (sculptor, on Dirt & Creativity), Helena Alegre (jewelry designer, on Cam Norte’s Jewelry History), Kris Abrigo (muralist, on Street Art), Sari Saysay(a playwright, on Bikol Theater), and Jai Borlagdan (musician, songwriter on Bikol Music) to come together and speak to an audience about their respective creative journeys. In partnership with Museo ni Jesse Robredo, Bigg’sDiner, Avenue Plaza Hotel, and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, it was mounted to support the National Arts Month.
