Shivy: On Creativity
Marianna
Do you have a routine for entering into a creative headspace?
Shivy
An early morning start, a little caffeine, a clear head, no distractions (i.e. no phone), large headphones playing music that makes me want to move as I paint.
Marianna
Where do you think ideas come from?
Shivy
Social commentary, personal experiences, emotions, visual and visceral influences all working together to form some sort of cohesive synergy.
Marianna
What does creativity mean to you?
Shivy
Once the above synergy comes together, a release of this energy that comes from a visceral place, pours out. You feel that release of tension and it’s soon replaced by pure joy.
Marianna
When do your best ideas hit you?
Shivy
When I don’t overthink and just follow intuition.
Marianna
So many creatives are pivoting and finding ways to adjust their creative process during the quarantine.
1) How have you been channeling your creativity during this time?
2) Discover anything new or surprising about yourself?
Shivy
It was challenging, as I was unable to work in my studio for a few months. The studio is my sanctuary; a place where I feel comfortable, have a lot of space to work and move around. I enjoy working on bigger pieces, where I’m able to be physically active with my painting, whilst my apartment was unable to accommodate that. I adjusted and worked on smaller pieces during that time, but it didn’t feel as fulfilling.
It wasn’t until after the killing of George Floyd and the build-up of anger, sadness, and frustration I was feeling, that it organically spilled out of me in the form of painting. I was protesting almost every day for a month and every part of me felt the physical and emotional effect of this movement, so of course, this influenced my creativity. It triggered so much for me, my friends, my family, and this is only a portion of what the black community faces every day. I had no choice but to use my creativity in a positive way. I didn’t want to profit from these pieces, so I made my BLM solidarity painting into a print, which I sold for a week and donated all profits to Know Your Rights Camp.
I didn’t realise how much feeling motivated influences my work. I think this motivation needs to stem from an emotional feeling; whether it’s sadness, happiness, anger, or frustration - I have to feel motivated from it. I need to say something with my work and that feeling of achievement is important to me. During our initial lockdown, I didn’t feel very motivated, I probably forced my creativity. The work I created whilst protesting to support the BLM movement was a far different story.
Marianna
What unexpected turns did your life take to lead you to become who you are today?
Shivy
The unexpected passing of my mother 2 years ago. We were really close and she provided a huge influence and comfort in my life. Her passing changed everything for me. In a strange way, the way I’ve evolved since has led me to find my most authentic self again.
I care for kindness, being humble, helping others, being happy, enjoying the small things in life, and using the voice and education she gave me in a positive way. I was always a high achiever at school, but working in the celebrity/fashion industry was challenging, as ultimately it forced me to dim my light. I never cared enough to fight back against all the ego.
I’ve never been interested in being in any sort of limelight and when you’re surrounded by people that only care for this, it forces you to constantly fight against it. You have no time to just be and nourish the person you want to become away from the materialism you’re enveloped in.
Mum taught me how to draw and paint and always encouraged me to pursue my art again and I truly believe she led me to the place I am now. I’ve only had a studio for 9 months and in this time, I’ve managed to gain clientele, sell paintings, and feel more fulfilled than ever. I’m nowhere near content with my achievements, because I know I have so much more to create. But I’m still thrilled because my motivation is back.
My art has allowed me to find my voice again and I’m ready to speak up.
Marianna
What sources of inspiration do you use to foster creativity in your work?
Shivy
Aside from social and emotional commentary and influences, other creatives inspire me. I see what so many artists are creating, particularly artists of South Asian origin and I am in such awe. Hiba Schahbaz creates the most magical self portrait paintings, whilst the styling and creative direction of Reva Bhatt is so beautiful and you see her respect for our culture and history through her work whilst creating something completely contemporary and unique. Then you have Asif Hoque, a painter and Ankur Maniar, a photographer and producer pushing boundaries by exploring multicultural identity from a South Asian male gaze and I haven’t seen that before.
I think it’s healthy to feel pushed creatively, but it’s also important to hone in what you yourself are trying to say. I want to have an individual aesthetic and I want to say something with my work that is personal to me.
I just think it’s important to find love, respect, and appreciation for what your peers and other creatives are doing.
Marianna
How do you make sense of chaos in your life?
Shivy
It depends on how you interpret the word chaos. To me, this evokes a sense of confusion and disorder. I’ve felt each of these many times, sure. But, I always manage to find balance (the Libra in me).
Something that I really do believe brings a sense of chaos into our lives every day however is our phones, particularly a platform like Instagram. I have such a love/hate relationship with it because I think it’s so easy to get lured into a false sense of reality.
It’s the number one cause for so much insecurity, anxiety, dependency, and addiction for so many. So many women rely on editing apps - I’ve seen my most beautiful friends create cartoon versions of themselves to post and they cannot see these images don’t even look real. It’s so worrying.
You have the same fake reality with influencers who do their best to post about how woke they are underneath a stream of beautifully edited photos of themselves. They say they love the planet more than they love themselves and only eat organic as they post sponsored content wearing an item of clothing they have just been gifted, ahead of a fashion week party they’re about to attend in a private car. There is a certain superiority they evoke with their hundreds of thousands of followers and I don’t think this is healthy for young people either, as it sets false expectations.
This behaviour is dangerous, but I’m by no means saying this applies to everyone.
There is also a wave of incredible creatives, activists, journalists, and body-positive influencers using their voice in an authentic and inspirational way. I’m constantly inspired by new artists and imagery.
We get to see instant and unedited news, which has been crucial for movements like Black Lives Matter. @justiceforgeorgefloydnyc was an integral account to keep updated with the latest protests and continues to provide evidence of unjust arrests. We couldn’t have protested as safely and as peacefully as we did without it.
It’s also a relief to see it used without seriousness, to simply post a holiday photo for friends and family to see.
I’ve personally found it integral to raise awareness for my art to build a new career for myself and in doing so, I’ve found it somewhat therapeutic to share stories about the passing of my mum, my grief and using it to speak up about issues that are important to me.
I think the problem is, it’s easy to get sucked into all of this, no matter who you are.
I feel like I’ve found an equilibrium with Instagram at least, but when an imbalance with my phone in general occurs, my brain doesn’t feel stimulated in the correct way and it’s harder for me to create.
A clear mind away from all of the above is so crucial.
Marianna
What advice would you offer those struggling with creative blocks?
Shivy
As I’ve touched on, take some time away from your phone and just live life.
Read a book, create, see friends, travel, and release the digital chaos from your head. Once you’ve done this, you’ll be stimulated by everything around you. The waves of the ocean, the clean air, the breeze in the trees. You will notice it all again and those ideas will come streaming through.
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About Shivy:
Shivy is a Punjabi Malaysian artist from London, currently based in Brooklyn, New York.
Her work highlights her admiration for women, through minimal line illustrations of the nude female form, whilst also touching on themes of race and identity.
Societally, bodies of colour have predominantly been exoticized and objectified by Western standards. Comparatively, in many South Asian cultures today, it is taboo to openly talk about sexual pleasure without judgment.
As a woman of colour, she attempts to define her own narrative of sexuality by depicting the strength, beauty, and unapologetic confidence she believes all women deserve to feel.
These lessons were taught to her by her late mother, who’s teaching and passing continues to motivate her work.