Saturday, April 26
Forsyth Park
Time and Purpose:
SCAD Sidewalk Arts Festival brings focus on community
The people of Savannah witnessed a grand display of visual “street art” as Forsyth Park transformed into a sprawling canvas at the annual SCAD Sidewalk Arts Festival. Beneath the late spring sun, hundreds of artists — from current students to alumni and even local high schoolers — chalked up their imagination onto the concrete squares.
As I wandered through the sidewalk gallery, it felt like stepping straight into a living dreamscape. Cartoon characters danced beside photorealistic portraits, surreal landscapes melted into abstract explosions of color — each square telling its own tale. The talent on display was jaw-dropping, but even more powerful was the shared energy of it all: artists laughing together, friends encouraging one another, and curious onlookers snapping photos while sipping sweet tea.
There’s a unique magic that occurs when a community comes together like this. Families spread out picnic blankets, dogs tugged excitedly at their leashes, and music drifted from everywhere — a perfect celebration of imagination and connection.And yet, as inspired as I felt soaking it all in, I couldn’t help but reflect a little on my own relationship with creativity. These days, between teaching my kids, trying to squeeze in a few precious minutes with my guitar, and keeping up with the pace of everyday life, finding that mental space for creative play can feel like getting enough sleep, a pipedream. Today was a gentle reminder that creativity doesn’t have to be a solitary pursuit — it thrives in community, in encouragement, and in those little messy, joyful moments we share.
Short tips on creativity:
- Focus on “play” not perfection. Purpose and process rather than product.
- If finding time is an issue, try to be creative with how you handle the tasks you take on during the day rather than trying to find “spare” time for arts.
- Be in the moment. If you’re yearning to paint or practice an instrument, but time gets in the way, create a playful way to complete your tasks. For example, I sometimes will improvise some approach while cooking using the recipe as word inspiration.
- There is no one perfect solution to any one problem, only a limitless variety of options.
Creatively,
Melanie Nolan
Photo credits to: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News, J Lanning Smith, and Allison Cobb