A group of young artists at Semmozhi Poonga
There is no telling where creativity can have an unfettered run. The eureka moment can show up at the unlikeliest of places. And it often does. But speed being the shibboleth of modern living, creativity often has to be hurried. It has to be “put together” on the assembly line, much like an automobile. One should even settle on a space that would foster creativity and keep frequenting it.
This writer embarked on a project to discover the one category among public spaces that creatively-minded youngsters (largely Gen Z) in Chennai — artists, poets, copywriters and authors, to be specific — found to be most helpful to their metier or hobby. Here is the result: parks. The verdict comes with a qualification — not just any parks.
Monic, a freelance artist and designer from Chennai, shares, “I do live-painting with my watercolour paints near the pebble area of Semmozhi Poonga on Dr. Radhakrishnan Salai and sometimes at Anna Nagar Tower Park.” Monic notes that members of the Chennai chapter of Urban Sketchers gravitate towards Semmozhi Poonga and similarly expansive green spaces, as they offer a plethora of subjects to paint on.”
Some paint the vibrant activities of the park, sketching the people, while the others capture the flowers and the trees with oil pastels. However, coping with the scorching heat is not easy, which makes them frequent the park less in the month of May, but Monic is hopeful to resume visiting the parks, past the height of summer.
Poet and artist Aaliyah frequents the Senganthal Poonga (on Avvai Shanmugham Salai), just a sniffing distance from Semmozhi Poonga.
She remarks, “It is such a well-maintained park, and so I go there to read and write. This park was not widely known seven months ago. Recently, it garnered much attention due to many visitors coming for photoshoots, both family and office picnics, which is lovely. Currently, renovation of the park is under way. But I have my favourite spots there for my creative leisure. It has an open-air theatre to sit and read, and I particularly love the spot dominated by banyan trees. Just looking at the trees makes me want to write. But one thing I urge visitors who are not regulars is not to litter the place, as we truly treasure this park.” When asked how it helps foster her creativity, Aaliyah grins, “Being in a space that feels inclusive itself fosters creativity. I do not feel pressured, which is not the same in cafes where there is a rush.”
There are other people in their twenties who patronise a park in Chennai, often for the unique manner in which it impacts their creative pursuit. And the subjective element often overrides the fact that the park does not tick the boxes the way a Semmozhi Poonga or a Senganthal Poonga does.
Here is one of those voices — Balachandar, a copywriter. “I have done writing in the park near my place in Saligramam. My time there is just to observe the surroundings and take inspiration from the people. I have made unexpected friendships too. And seeing the children play makes me feel like I am watching my own childhood. Everything I see in the park is literally an inspiration, which I rarely find in other places because of the many distractions.”
In response to whether he uses parks for his me-time, he answers, “Well, in the office I am obligated to do something. At home, I expect myself to do the chores, but that in-between time in the park is for myself.”
For artist Roshni, it is not just one park, but multiples of them.
She sets foot in parks in Indira Nagar, Santhome and Besant Nagar hoping for that moment of serendipity. And she is only rarely disappointed. “It gives me the chance to think through my thoughts. And there is something privately public about parks from old people making important memories with their grandchildren to an artist trying to find inspiration. I loved how I could hear the wind, the playing children, and the occasional barking of a dog. There is a vulnerability to it and a sense of serendipity like I may chance upon something that could inspire me.” She further shares that she learnt nature’s most valuable lesson — which is to pause — by frequenting the parks of Chennai.
