{"id":36418,"date":"2024-10-30T09:36:03","date_gmt":"2024-10-30T07:36:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/?p=36418"},"modified":"2024-10-30T09:36:03","modified_gmt":"2024-10-30T07:36:03","slug":"a-creative-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/ballito-umhlanga\/blog\/2024\/10\/30\/a-creative-life\/","title":{"rendered":"A creative life"},"content":{"rendered":"

Artist, writer, non-profit founder and anthropologist\u2026 <\/strong>
\nAshling McCarthy is a diverse creative committed to social change.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"Despite her natural inclination towards creativity, Ashling’s path into the art world was met with early resistance. “I was very creative at school, but back then it wasn’t seen as a viable career,” she recalls. Her initial desire to pursue jewellery design or photography was redirected by her parents towards graphic design, a more stable and promising field at the time.<\/p>\n

A NEW EXPERIENCE<\/strong>
\nAshling’s career took an unexpected turn when she saw an advert in the newspaper for a craft development programme. “They were looking for young designers to work with rural crafters,” she says. This programme brought her into direct contact with rural communities, allowing her to live and work with families while helping crafters to design a product that would end up in the international market. “It was an eye-opening experience, realising how different life can be and how much joy and positivity exists in these areas despite the challenges.”
\nThis experience fuelled her passion for learning about different cultures, leading her to pursue a degree in anthropology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). “Anthropology teaches empathy, observation and listening skills,” Ashling explains. It also sparked her interest in the social issues that shape people’s lives, which she further explored in her master’s degree focusing on HIV and orphan care.<\/p>\n

\"\"BLENDING ART AND ACTIVISM<\/strong>
\nWhile Ashling’s professional journey led her to establish I Learn to Live \u2013 Ngifundela Ukuphila, a non-profit organisation focused on providing education opportunities to school children and youth in rural Zululand, her artistic side never faded. In 2018, seeking a way to unwind from the pressures of her demanding career, she took up painting. “I thought it would help me relax, but it actually became another avenue for expression and storytelling,” she says. Her work in fine art and illustration focuses on social commentary, often reflecting themes she encountered in her anthropological studies.<\/p>\n