What happens when art chooses you? On this special birthday episode of Game Changers, we're joined by Naja Simeon, the visionary artist behind St. Lucia's most striking murals, including the towering tribute to Olympic champion Julian Alfred that depicts her "walking on water."
Naja shares his fascinating journey from reluctant teacher at age 17 to celebrated muralist, explaining how he approaches each birthday as a meditation on mortality and creative purpose. "Every year is a wake-up call of how close I am to death," he reflects, describing the self-portraits he creates annually as time capsules documenting his evolution both as an artist and as a human being.
The conversation takes us inside his creative process, from the painstaking research behind each mural to the deliberate incorporation of ancestral petroglyphs as cultural touchstones. Particularly fascinating is his technique of leaving certain elements uncolored – blank spaces that draw the viewer's eye and spark conversation. "My main role as an artist is to make people think," he explains, revealing how he transformed the traditional beer label for Piton into a three-part collectible artwork that tells a complete story only when all pieces are assembled.
Naja delivers a powerful message to aspiring creators, rejecting the "starving artist" trope in favor of what he calls being a "hungry artist" – someone who attacks opportunities with vigor and leaves no money on the table. His advice resonates far beyond the art world: put in your 10,000 hours, be exceptional at your craft, and create with purpose. "Be so good at what you do that everybody will notice you," he urges, demonstrating how passion and practice have allowed him to transform the visual landscape of his island home.
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