What happened was a real tragedy. 

Whatever the outcome it will never bring back the beautiful life of Reeva Steenkamp. 

With that said it has been intriguing to watch as this cultural touchstone has developed right in front of our very eyes. Like it or not Oscar and Reeva have now become a part of pop culture. 

Like OJ Simpson, or the death of Madiba those who are old enough to remember will always remember exactly what they were doing on the day the Oscar's verdict was delivered (For me it would be writing this blog post). Cultural touchstones link generations together around a particular event in time. 

As artists it is important to make notes of these times. 

If reality shows like Idols, Survivor and Big Brother still have a large followings it is clear that people watching is still a popular sport. 

Emotions are high during these times and people often don't know what to say to voice their emotions. The People vs Oscar Pistorius - And the public has already judged. We are just waiting to confirm our judgement. 

As artists it is our job to help make heads or tails of the world around us through our art. Something that comedians often do well by making light of a serious situation. 

Now is a great time to be an artist of any kind. Why do I say that?

Because we have ever before in our history been more connected in society as we are now. There are a lot of historic events happening and the Internet has them just a click away. This Oscar Pistorius trail, sadly being one of them. Change is constantly going on in the world around us and information is readily available on just about any subject you can think of. As artists we need to be able to interpret the world around us to help people make sense of it all.

Art helps us interpret the world around us.  

There will be probably be a movie about this.  A tragic love story with murder and intrigue is too good a stortyline for any Hollywood studio to pass up on. And good stories will always need to be told. In music, film and books stories serve as a tool to warn us, guide us and intrigue us.

Although our canvas maybe different, we are all artists. Let your voice be heard. Share your worldview.

Take Aways:

• Learn to have an opinion on the world around you
• Let he without sin cast the first stone 
• Use your creativity to reflect the world you see back to your audience
• Surf the trends - Using your ability as an artist to spot trends is an important skill to have, learn to capitalize on it to create an impact with your art 
• Clockwise or Counter clockwise - It's not enough to just spot the trends, After you spot them you have to know whether to go with the trend or against it. This is where the 1st point comes in handy. 
• Become a spokesperson for your generation - Chances are you are not the only one with that particular world view. As an artist it is important to share your world view and connect with an audience that has a similar world view.
• The beauty of art is that even if people don't agree with your world view, if it is presented artistically enough they can still appreciate and respect it. 

Question:

What are your thoughts on the Oscar Pistorius verdict?