In a society increasing­ly driven by logic and rea­son, it’s important to have a creative outlet. Be it card games, board games, soc­cer or rapping, we should all seek to make room for self- expression in our busy lives.

Our taste in art developed in tandem with refining the concepts of our society, and what it means to be a human. We have gained a broader ar­tistic vocabulary with which we can speak our minds and share ourselves.

All of this poetic and in­direct bush-beating may be trivial and superfluous, but words are one conduit through which I enjoy cre­ative self-expression. For oth­ers, it may be fashion, sports or perhaps even role-play games. For the 25-year-old from Rhode Island, Khary’s journey of creativity hap­pened outside of rap as much as it did within it.

“I used to play soccer for seven years, and the part I liked the most was just cross­ing people out and shoot­ing the ball. It was a creative outlet for me more than any­thing,” Khary said.

This narrative may ring true for you too — sports are great grounds for the spread­ing of creative roots. Though enjoyable to do in abstract or unconventional ways, selfexpression can flow just as smoothly through the more popular methods.

Incorporating time for making art into your already busy schedule — however you prefer to do that — has a cathartic aspect. By its very definition, catharsis is “the relieving of emotional ten­sion, especially through cer­tain kinds of art.”

Now, emotional tensions can take a variety of forms as well. Perhaps it’s fresh anger, an overwhelming period of sadness or joy so explosive your chest hurts. Art can be a superb tool to process the heavier stuff, and for Khary, this is exactly what it did.

“I started getting a little de­pressed — like the lowest I’d ever felt in my life up to that point — and I just started re­flecting on that,” Khary ex­plained about his headspace.

Khary went on to speak about his upcoming album THIS IS WEIRD, which is set to be released this April. Being an independent artist, he had to run a Kickstarter to fund his project.

“[THIS IS WEIRD] hits all different emotions, so it’s not just one big sad song,” Khary said. “I approached some darker stuff but also got light hearted on other songs to keep things balanced and fun.”

To create is a human in­stinct, but that hardly means we’re all impeccably skilled in every aspect of creating. For Khary, it’s far more about picking something you enjoy doing, whether you’re adept or inept, and putting aside perfectionism.

“I feel like I’m at a place now where my skill in the craft has caught up to my pas­sion for it,” Khary said.

Creativity is perhaps as concrete and categorizable as the people who practice it. Through my own struggle with exploring this expan­sive scape, I found it as more of an umbrella term — each individual a unique grain of sand composing the perpetu­al beach that is creativity.

Each method of expression is no more identical than ap­ples and oranges. Though both are fruits, their essence and existence are as beautiful as they are different.

Not every instance of pro­duced art will be spectacular — everyone is capable of mis­takes and subpar art. Time will bring the aptitude.

“It’s about falling in love with the process,” Khary said. “You are making progress whether you see it or not, you’re making progress.”

Keep creating, keep selfexpressing. Your creativity is worthwhile.

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Gavin Robertson

Photo: Supplied by Khary