Bisila Noha

Bisila is a ceramicist, co-founder of the arts and activism platform Lon-art Creative and part of the team behind Design Can, a platform calling for an inclusive and representative creative industry. Originally from Spain, she’s currently living in London.

How are you right now?

I am very good, thanks. I actually didn’t have that much of a hard time during the last 18 months, but after having started attending events and travelling a bit, I realised how much I needed it. I had felt rather anxious about socialising and lost sight of who I am as a social being. I only realised this after going to events again this month. I had missed it a lot!

When you reflect on the last 18 months, what were some of the most challenging aspects?

The very beginning of the pandemic was quite challenging. I was teaching pottery a lot, which was my main source of income and everything stopped overnight. Luckily, I was in therapy then and learned lots of tools to cope with that uncertainty and stay positive and resolutive.

And then being away from my family. I am Spanish and didn’t have the chance to go back until August this year. So while I was seeing them regularly on Skype, it was tough to miss birthdays, Christmas and to not be with them in general.

What helped you through the difficult periods?

Therapy helped for sure. I meditated daily, making (mental) gratitude lists before going to bed, exercising and creating special moments in the house with my partner, like date nights and things like that.

Is there a piece of advice or particular guidance you lean on when things are hard?

Accepting the situation is the best start for me. And from there, appreciating little things in my daily life and being positive. 

How did your ceramics work help you?

I actually made very little during the first year of the pandemic. During the first lockdown, I didn’t go to the studio at all since it would only incur more expenses. Instead, I started to look at my practice from different angles and did a lot of writing. I studied Translation at Uni and love writing, which I rarely had time for before. So having time to sit and think and write was precious, and it has moved my practice in a very interesting direction.

Design Can is an amazing collaborative effort. What positive changes have you seen come through this initiative?

All the conversations and interactions that it has instigated in the last two years are priceless. When it launched in 2017, it made people realise how much work there is to be done. There might not have been that many real, tangible changes yet, but having that awareness is key. 

We recently hosted a mentoring event at the V&A for London Design Festival, and that was magical. While many changes are needed top-down, it is also paramount to inspire younger generations and show them that the design industry is for all of them, regardless of their race, gender, social class, etc. Bringing ten mentors from different backgrounds and disciplines together with around 20 young people starting their careers was a great way to nurture the new generations, which will undoubtedly result in those positive changes we are striving for. It will take a while, though.

What is your hope for Design Can in the next 18 months?

I hope we get to run more events bringing people from disciplines together, host more activities with younger people and keep making people challenge the status quo in whichever way they can. 

And if in 18 months there no longer is a reason for Design Can to exist, that would be fantastic!

What have you read lately that has resonated?

I am reading Braiding Sweetgrass. Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge and the teachings of plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer at the moment, and I am enjoying it immensely. Living in cities in a capitalist world, it is so easy to forget about nature and its gifts; about the fact that we are part of nature. Through the behaviour of plants and Native American practices and histories, it is a great reminder of how to live in a community and in balance with our environment. Plus, she is a poet as well as a botanist, so the writing is delightful.

What’s a good film to watch on a Tuesday night at home?

Captain Fantastic with Viggo Mortensen

What do you eat at the weekend that makes you feel nourished?

I haven’t done this in a while, but having banana pancakes in bed on a Sunday morning is all one could wish for!

What gives you hope right now?

Seeing all the new initiates and projects that are being born. From different queer spaces in London to groups and organisations working with young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Hopefully, politicians will catch up, and changes will come both from grassroots organisations and governmental circles. 

@bisilanoha

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