Tell us about yourself and your role at CPG.
I have never really been able to fully grasp the concept of self-identity. Describing oneself to me transcends way beyond the physical, beyond what is seen. Evangel-Leo-Ken Jnr is a lot of things. I like to think of myself as some sort of shape-shifter; an enigma you can’t fully clinch.
Like the one that got away. You skip after a hummingbird, and it perches just as you approach. You think you almost have it, then you reach out to collect, and it shoots away. It is skittish, elusive, evasive, all the synonyms that colour it difficult to place. I am kind of tsukamidokoro ga nai– difficult to place, hard to pin down, for even I am still in the challenging process of finding myself.
What I do at CPG is necessary; it is a humble attempt at answering the questions the Ghanaian creative ecosystem asks relentlessly. ‘When do we commercialise this ‘almost curse’ we call talent?’ Who do we send what we write in the darkness of our rooms to?’ Who takes note of every single contribution we make as creatives and celebrates us for it? What do we call found family? If we wish to support the literary scene in Ghana, what existing structures can make good use of the resources we have to offer? Who, What, Where, Whom.. the Ghanaian Creative Economy. I represent a community dedicated to the Creatives Project of Ghana. Building, Restoring. Archiving. Collaborating. Spotlighting.
What inspired you to join Creatives Project Ghana?
Impulse.
Like everything I have done so far in my life, I didn’t make time for the doubt to learn how to crawl, then walk, then break into a full trot and dare tell me (the impunity!) who or what I can become. I wowed Alpha with an application and he gave me the role. We tried to build something small with huge prospects, his brainchild. And the community outside of our little bubble caught on, celebrating strife, consistency, and diligence.
What does community building mean to you?
I always tell this story about Elikem’s description of me as one who loves the feel of community. It is ironic since I have always believed myself to be a recluse. So we went back and forth while I dismissed her observation as a contradiction. But Elikem was right after all. For me, Community has become much more than a gathering of people. It has become a home away from home, solace, found family that implements ideas that come to us at 2 am; ideas we name ridiculous at first sight, ideas we break into scornful laughter at. But these same ideas, we somehow execute and pat ourselves on the back for. Community building, to me, is synonymous with what Ruth did for Naomi, and what Naomi did for Ruth, holding each other’s hands to success or something really close.
What’s the most rewarding part of managing a creative community?
Lights. Camera. Action. The rewarding part will be seeing the applause, the smiles, the ohs and ahs, the visible interest, and the pride during and after events. Coordinating a project and seeing the sign-ups has its own sugar too.
But ultimately, it is meeting a revered figure in the creative scene, visibly impressed by the effort, appreciative of the journey, and overflowing with counsel and guidance for the days ahead. I also like the microphone.
What challenges do creatives in Ghana commonly face?
Do we have time? The list is a long one.
Financing and monetisation, weak industry infrastructure, intellectual property protection, limited access to global markets and visibility, social and family pressures, and the challenge of professionalisation and business skills.
There is almost no structure for making money out of your craft in our part of the world. Yes, there are big names that have changed the narrative for themselves, but they are in the minority, and even they would attest that compared to their peers, the reward does not justify the effort, the struggle, the resilience.
Copyright laws for creatives are legally strong only on paper. In practice, the tone is uneven. The Ghana Copyright Office tries to enforce the Copyright Act, 2005 (Act 690). But the process is slow, under-resourced, and many infringements barely reach courts, let alone serious penalties.
The challenges are a noose around our pens. They don't stop us, but they slow us down.
What’s one memorable moment you’ve experienced at CPG?
I can’t state one specific moment that outperforms the other. But I am not forgetting our first New Voices Poetry Contest anytime soon. The rigorous planning to execution. Exhibition, publication, performance, awarding, archiving, and documentation, recording, we really ate with that, like the Gen z’s say.
What advice would you give to young creatives trying to grow their network?
Talk about your work. Talk about your work to the right people. Work hard on your work. Work hard on your work for yourself before you do it for other people. Pray for grace, you will need it. There’s a discourse that posits that art is performative. The truth is not far from this position. You’ll need serious hard work, consistency and admirable grace and favour to achieve the appeal that gets you mentioned in spaces where you’re not even physically present.
What vision do you have for the future of the CPG community?
Like I told Chris, founder of Nenta Journal, one time in a conversation, the goal is to rewrite the Ghanaian creative economy, make artistry reputable and viable as the sciences, put together structures that hold over time and turn our Ghana creative ecosystem into a thing of beauty.
It’s ambitious, we both said.
It is not impossible. It can be done. It will be done. And when we tire after the last thread has been spun, and we rest our fatigued legs and let go of our nail and hammer, the next generation we are training through internships and workshops will continue where we stopped.
This will not be a sudden flight, but the destination is clear, and the journey is its synonym.
What has working with creatives taught you personally?
Nipa yɛ creativeeeeeeee! I have met the most talented people I know in these spaces. Ama Asantewa, Alpha, Kwaku Kyereh, Kweku Abimbola, Jewell-King Speaks, Faiba Bernard, Rigwell, Edinam, Afi, Yeayi Kobina, Worlasi, Selim, Poetivist, Tsie, Nii Musesick, Amu Mawutoh, Loise Esi, Tebo pixels, AJ4short, OB, the list is long, really long. No man is an island. We need to collaborate more.
Outside of work, what creative passions or hobbies do you enjoy?
I write, or like to think I do? I sing too, with a voice that could spook the dead. But one secret little thing I do is play the clarinet. I also paint what I can. I definitely can’t dance, but I can pull some azigiza and a few azonto’s. I love to read; poetry, prose, I don’t discriminate. I daresay I exist solely for the arts —to create and be blessed enough to experience creation; whole, jagged, incomplete, unnerving, scary —in all its forms.