Lebanon Through Art: How are Artists struggling in Lebanon and How can Watani help?

What is art ?

When you think of art, the first thing that pops into your mind is beauty in different colors and shapes. When you think of art, you think of Beirut. You think of its small corners that have works of art on its walls waiting to be celebrated and praised ; giving a room for hopes and dreams. Resilient buildings with lively street art painted all around their marked bullet holes after years of war. Owners of Small shops that sell a piece of their heart one at a time. The diversity in art is what makes it so vibrant. For at some point, people are the work of art themselves. The effort, passion, and creativity Lebanese artists put  into every handmade piece is art. People Chasing their dreams one step at a time until they reach the top is art. 

How are artists in Lebanon struggling ?

Unfortunately, having the privilege to chase this dream has been taken away from Lebanese people on so many different levels. Newborn artists no longer have the space to rise and dive into the world of Creativity and Business and well-off artists are now struggling to keep their feet steady on the ground. Why? I think we all know the answer to that: A blast that left nothing but ashes and an economic crisis that is slowly swiping what is left of it.

Thousands of businesses are shutting down due to the very weak purchasing power of the Lebanese. On top of that, most of the locally produced products rely on imported raw materials; that are extremely expensive and hard to attain due to the dollar scarcity. Additionally, some artists have lost the space in which they create and sell their art due to the blast. People can barely afford living now and have come to a point were buying decorative art is no more than a luxury for them. Artists are left with almost no income. How can a middle ground be reached?

 

How can you help through Watani?

This is when watani steps in. Being an E-commerce platform that focuses solemnly on supporting Lebanese businesses and artists, watani is offering them a hand  to keep doing what they are doing and grow further in that manner . How? By acting as a bridge between Lebanon and the people who are eager to help it and its people rise from the ashes again. Moreover, People abroad and in Lebanon who appreciate art can order any piece from a variety of artists in just one click; having it delivered to their doorstep.

 

Allow me to walk you through the process. When any person ; living abroad or in Lebanon,  logs into watani and finds something eye catchy , they can easily purchase it through the website . The artist behind this product will directly be notified and once the buyer pays for it , he/she receives the fresh money. In this way, artists  will be able to produce and sell more. One buyer at a time and one step at a time, they will be able to afford to work on their art with the right materials needed and still profit from what they do.

 

Consequently, this person supported a dream and a country. You can be that person , you can offer Lebanon and its people a hand when most needed. With unity comes strength ; and with strength comes power!

39 Comments

  1. This brings light to a very important issue and that is how hard it is for the artists of this country. Absolutely loved reading it.
  2. Thank you for this blog post. I believe we should all be more vocal about solutions that are in support of Lebanese artists and sme(s), and the one you offer in this blog sounds great.
    • Thank you so much Zeina! I'm glad we are able to address such topics and reach out to as many people as we can for help.
  3. Lebanese artists, people, shops, ... are so amazing but the problem is that no one knows their values. Watani is a big step to their right path, thank you Reine for this blog, so straight to the point that will help for sure. Love it
    • Very true ; hoping to shed more light on their values. I'm Glad you enjoyed reading it , thank you !
    • This is one of the main purposes ; thank you for taking the time to read it !
  4. Good read! E-Commerce is the future and we should all get used to it otherwise we will fall behind.
  5. Very well stated Reine ,especially to such a forgotten subject here in Lebanon . Hopefully many others will also address this essential topic and the importance of E-commerce along it.
  6. This is very inspiring and relevant!! I enjoyed reading it, hoping for a better future with more thoughtful contributions,like this.
    • Thank you Karen! I'm glad you enjoyed reading it ; always hoping for a better future for all of us!
    • Very interesting, sure this can raise awareness to take action for a better future through keeping professional artists work with dignity in their country. Together we raise, appart we fall.
  7. This is great. To look at this from 2 aspects, in this crisis we are living in Lebanon, art can either inspire changes on the minor or major scale, or can be inspired by changes that happen suddenly that hopefully will better the general situation in Lebanon. The struggle is realistic and true but in my opinion I think rebuilding the economy is an action of higher priority,then the healing of art will follow. But overall, great article and a great piece of writing from you!
    • Thank you Majd ! It can actually work both ways in a consecutive way. For when we are supporting artists we are supporting businesses and therefore contributing to a better economy. Watani focuses on brining in fresh dollars internationally for vendors on our website , without it gaining any profit whatsoever aside of supporting the Lebanese. Consequently, helping the economy rise from the disaster it's in one step at a time. Glad you enjoyed reading it!
  8. well said, i really enjoyed reading it . E-commerce is the future and every person should be aware of it otherwise would face difficulties to adapt in the upcoming years
  9. This is such a great idea!!! We NEED to be uplifting our own artists and creators. Great initiative, reine ♥️
  10. Its amazing to shed light on such a topic, and its interesting how u connected these 2 together; amazing!

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