Sickness & Creativity

A photograph featured within my online portfolio
© Atma Singh 2008


Yes - I've caught a bug. It was only a matter of time. People around me have been falling like flies; it's a buggy time of year you know.

The thing is that I'm not actually that annoyed by it. Well, apart from the fact that I have to listen to my Singhnee (wife) talking to our unborn child, requesting s/he arrive immediately. She's eating tonnes of pineapple and regularly taking warm baths because apparently this speeds-things-up. You really don't want to know the rest.

Anyway, back to my point - why am I not bothered about being sick? Because nowadays it's the only time I get to really indulge my creative-side, which I would never otherwise have the time to indulge. Yes, that old thief time - I've already moaned about it at length here.

With this spare time, the last two days have been mostly spent exploring Flickr and uploading the first few photographs onto my new account. Here it is. Over the next few weeks, I'll be putting lots more on there. It's a way of me sharing my personal work with a wider audience, as well as soon giving potential clients access to portfolios regarding weddings, events and portraits. Anyone who wants a limited edition print can contact me...enough plugging Atma Singh!

I really believe that Sikhs need to express themselves artistically to a much greater extent than they are currently doing so. If I had a rupee for every Sikh who has told me about a creative passion they harbour but never got to explore, I would be a rich man. Well not in England but probably in Punjab, where Rupees are useful. Anyhow, I've spotted a pattern over the last 10 years or so - Sikhs are not making the kind of strides in the creative industries as they are elsewhere. What's the big deal? Well, it all boils down to one thing - exposure.

With very few prominent film-makers, photographers, painters, musicians, writers, graphic designers etc., our very ability to express ourselves is being left by the way-side. We're limited to being a community defined by our 'concerned statements'. We tend to react more than create and direct. Usually, our voice is limited to making statements regarding religious or political issues, in a decidedly non-artistic manner. Is this the sum-total of our being, our ability to communicate and propose?

Sikh Chic is one website which is doing lots to redress this imbalance. Forget whether you like or dislike any of the material - whether you agree or disagree with the editorial or guest-writers; because that's irrelevant. The fact is that this site represents a crucial 'Sikh dialogue', regarding all things artistic and creative. A dialogue which is hardly taking place anywhere else.

Well here's my bit for the creative cause - my Photostream. You can view the captions to the below images there, as well as more of my work. Viva la Sikh Artistic Revolucion!

( ( ( :-)>>> Atma Singh