The Ghanaian musician Okyeame Kwame has advised artists to shield themselves from public criticism.
Kwame asserts that a person opens themselves up to public discussion the moment they decide to pursue a career in show business. Nonetheless, it is the responsibility of the individual to let things written or said about them reach them.
“I think that you need to build mental resilience; you personally. Because you need to understand that what people are doing, the world is not happening on your clock. Yes, you have 2.5 million followers on Instagram but they are following you to see something. They are not yours, you can’t own them. When people insult you on Twitter and Facebook and others you shouldn’t own it because that is what they want to do.
You must also find a way to do what you want to do, no matter what is happening around you. So build mental resilience and know that even though you are celebrated the world is not happening on your clock and I think that if you do this and listen to your body, you don’t intoxicate yourself with too much data, too much reading, with too much alcohol, with too much pills, with too much sex, and you are in tune with yourself you can hear if your heart is about to get an attack,” he said on Joy FM’s Showbiz A-Z while discussing how to ensure healthy living as a creative.
Additionally, he informed host Kwame Dadzie that it is the responsibility of the media and other participants in the entertainment industry to support the preservation of celebrities’ sanity.
According to Okyeame, some of the items covered by the media have a negative impact on creatives’ mental health.
“Artistes are human beings. He comes to sit on platforms like this and speaks out his heart and share his vulnerable moment. And then you take that part out and twist it for clickbait and then everyone is calling him. Because of that some girl he wants to marry says no, people are beginning to see him in a certain light, because you want clickbait. If you love the artiste, stop that,” Okyeame further stated.
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The well-known Ghanaian artist has drawn a lot of criticism for his philosophic views on several societal topics on social media. He has been the topic of the town lately for posting pictures of himself in his boxer images from “Love Equation.”
Several experts discussed the importance of physical and mental health for creatives in the Showbziz A-Z episode. Dr. Joseph Bennin, a doctor at the Donsoman Clinic, Dr. Nana Danquah Nuamah, a psychiatrist at the Pantang Hospital, and Wise Letsa, a nutritionist, were the show’s hosts.
Artiste managers George Mensah-Britton and Lawrence Nana Asiamah, aka BullGod, both discussed the roles talent managers play in maintaining the integrity of their brands.