COVID-19 has made these past few months difficult for all of us. Not being able to see or hug our friends, being stuck at home all day, feeling like you need to be productive, and when you’re not, feeling like you have somehow failed. This is a historic, once in a lifetime period where the world has come to a standstill. and we all need to adapt to these new circumstances. We for one, have not been able to create the same level of content as before. Usually, we would tell stories through beautiful photographs that move us but since this isn’t possible at the moment we had to think of other ways to spread the same message. To continue to tell stories visually, we asked a diverse group of artists within our TITLE community to put what we all have been thinking to paper and make art out of our current situation.
Malika Abdelmouim is a young aspiring artist from France who mostly does a lot of fanart. Today, she has blessed us with sharing her talent and creating a piece that not only shows her artistic talent but also summarizes the past few months pretty well (view down below). In our interview with her we talk about BTS, kebabs, and mental health in times of Corona.
Please introduce yourself briefly and let us know what you usually work on.
My name’s Malika, I’m a 25-year-old aspiring artist from France. I usually made a lot of fanart because its what got me into art in the first place, I just draw what I like really, tv show character, pretty pictures,…
Has the pandemic influenced you positively or negatively so far?
Negative, really negatively. I’m an introvert and I don’t really go outside a lot in the first place, but the not-having-the-choice and the feeling that world his ending/hit pause is really frustrating and it’s taking a toll on my mental health if I’m honest, I’m kinda losing my mind haha.
What is your usual creative process, while working on a project?
I just jump into it, I don’t make drafts though I should really start, it’s just really impulsive? I don’t really know honestly I adjust/add things on the go depending on the mood I’m in and the music I’m listening to when working.
Could you explain how you handled the Alternative reality project and what went through your mind that lead you to your final piece?
I wanted to make something joyful in the beginning, like a stay home but it doesn’t have to be depressing kind of thing, I don’t think that worked out though, depending on how you feel seeing my piece I think you’ll interpret it differently.
What is the difference between your reality and alternatives?
For me, the reality is obviously something you can’t change, you may feel trapped in it no matter how you want to make ‘the most of it’, while alternatives, it’s like a fictional world isn’t it, a place where you can surround yourself with what you like without having the pressure of reality catching up with you, you don’t have to worry about money there for example.
Would you say you are a realistic person and good at self-reflection?
Unfortunately, I think I’m too much of a realist, more along the lines of pessimist if I might add. I’m pretty good at self-reflection I think, but then again who thinks they aren’t?
What inspires you the most, especially during hard times like these?
Music and the people I like, like I said I do a lot of fanart, mostly of the South Korean group BTS, just seeing them being passionate about what they do is really inspiring to me, they always have really comforting words. There’s a lot of artists I look up to, Leyendecker, Rockwell, and Hopper for the classics, along with artists I follow on Instagram, @monsieureon, @mahstagram, @mnstrexia and a whole lot more!
What is the first thing you will do after the quarantine?
Probably go enjoy a nice cold beer at the bar and get a nice kebab after. Hopefully the weather will be nice then!
Do you have advice for people that struggle to stay motivated during this difficult and confusing time?
I could try to say some comforting words to deal with lack of motivation during this confinement, but I feel like it would be hypocritical of me because I don’t have any motivation at the moment, its all really hard and shitty, we can only hope and pray it gets better.
Is there anything you would like to add to your piece for this project, that you think people might not understand?
Not really, I don’t want to mess with how people will each interpret it.
