iSanusi Credo Mutwa on Creativity

“It seems to me that people are divided into two; those who want to create and those who destroy. These people represent the modern poles of good and evil. One must look at our communities to discern what we have become."

IsiNtu is self-healing for the benefit of all. It is creative and everlasting because creative people build things that last- People still come to Africa for wisdom because, by its nature, isiNtu is creative. A person of violence creates no beauty, they only create an illusion of a passing empire. Only by creativity shall we ensure the survival of the human race on this planet. Creativity is messy and demands you get out of your knowledge and remain with the nothingness.

I try to be one of those who create in order to show our people the depth and not-so-easy way home. I create to show them a happier and more peaceful human (umNtu) so that we leave the world a better place than we found it. It is the responsibility of umNtu to do so. You can heal a whole community by creating something that benefits that community.

Our people pursue art, writing, etc. we pursue all forms of communication between human beings. When you are called to be a traditional healer, you must especially be able to listen to the eternal intelligence beyond concept.

In Africa we have always strived to create the perfect human being. An ancestor is our idea of a perfect human being. It is not automatic; it is pursued within the way we live daily. umNtu who is called to heal in any way is called to remove from themselves base feelings of jealousy, greed, and lust and within the limits of our tribal laws, we seek the truth about mankind, the universe. We have pursued art in its many forms because we believe that to be creative is to heal. Traditional healers of Africa were psychologists, scientists, parapsychologists, builders, writers, wisdom keepers, womb keepers, and what have you… All these are rooted in eternal love because we are children of eternal love; its expression.

We were the spiritual leaders and the tribal law demanded we keep high moral laws in ancient times.”

With so many healers in our communities, where are the creative restorers of life? Why is everyone eager to pursue healing in a manner that does not birth creative life in our communities? Why do we build on fear and endorse it then call it healing?

It seems that to know is not to be loved. People know too much but few are prepared to walk the narrow path of love because it is slow, without illusion, and demands that you travel light and in silence. Silence is not empty, it's full of answers. Nature nourishes even when we destroy it. Children of love nourish, destroyers perpetually take lustfully without considering the totality of life- they are noisy and restless. We are all called and tested into remembering ourselves as love. We lack creativity and peace because we believe we own the calling back to love instead of allowing it to lead us home.

Camagwini. Thokozani. Lesedi. Pula