JOSH JOURNAL ML SPECIAL THE BOOK CLUB

Happy Creative New Year – Josh Journal

Happy New Year is the salutation we are used to when we flip the calendar to start a new year, but I need to switch that to a Happy Creative New Year.

The almost global lockdown that was a result of the Covid-19 pandemic helped a lot of people get in touch with their creative side for the first time.
It reminded others of the skills and talents they have cast aside in pursuit of a steady income. Others still saw something interesting and decided to try their hands at it. In the end, it all made for an unprecedented outpouring of creativity.

Challenges and trends on Social Media ensured that people kept trying to outdo each other on the creative front. The pursuit of more views, likes, shares, and comments meant the quality and quantity of content kept rising.

The biggest winner was Tiktok. Gaining a market share that they probably believed would take years to achieve. Netflix, HBO, Amazon Prime, and Disney Plus also made great strides.

The Nigerian music industry got a big facelift from all these. The fact that live events were on hold meant artists had to produce music that listeners would feel comfortable playing over and over again.

Being cooped up at home and having to increase streaming numbers, EPs and albums made a big comeback to our music scene. Tiwa Savage, Yemi Alade, Flavor, Chike, Davido, Wizkid, Burna Boy and others dropped albums that made a big splash rather than tiny plop on our consciousness.

As the lockdown was being lifted across Nigeria, people began going back to consumer mode rather than creator mode in terms of content. The End SARS protest turned more creatives to activists. It is probably faster to count those that weren’t involved than those that were. Even at that, it might still be difficult to remember any of such.

I started the year 2020 intending to write more on my blog, creating more podcasts, and make some videos too. My aim was consistency.
The lockdown ensured my workload was increased and that threw me off target. In the midst of it all, I am still grateful for the gift and burden of creativity.

I do not know what 2021 holds, but I can hope. I hope that the pandemic is brought under control and the economic disaster on the horizon gets averted.
Then we can create and our audience can consume without fear or guilt.
In a creative 2021, expect more brilliant write-ups on MARDLife.com

I also intend to be more consistent across my podcast network. MARDLife Podcast, Josh Talks Podcast, True Lie Story Podcast, MARD Music Podcast, and MARD Moment Podcast.
There will also be more awesome videos on the MARD Life TV YouTube channel.
Sign up for the MARDLife Newsletter so you get updated and not inundated with all these and more.

With my experience from 2020 and the few years preceding that, I think it is time for me to get a bit more personal here. My life is not yet eventful, neither are my days spent at events, but I think you will enjoy hanging out in my head a bit and seeing some of the characters that influence my creations.
This is why I’ll be journalling every 365 days of this year.

Considering that I’ve never kept a diary in my life, adding to that, I have been quite private on the internet, I don’t know how quickly I’ll be tempted to shut this down, but I promise to keep it up at least until the end of this year. And also be an open book while at it.

For all other creators out there, I pray this year, we all be more creative than we ever dreamed possible.
As for those who consider themselves to be a regular Joe, uncreative, or average, I can assure you that the oil of creativity is also in you. Look around and get inspired. Infusing a little spark of creativity in your daily endeavours will yield massive dividends. And happiness too.

On a final note, I will be involved in a lot more collaborative projects this year. Updates will be shared as we journey along.
Thank you for your support this far, thank you for your continuous support this new year and thank you for being awesomely you.
Happy new year to you, and have a creative new year.

Wilson Joshua is a Video Editor, Content Creator, and Creative Writer.
Follow him on TwitterFacebook, and Instagram. @IJOSWIL