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   Creation begins where the emotions of the self are translated—as an “other”—into my instrument or my pen. At times, the soul does not know the answers to the questions it is asked, or perhaps those answers have slipped through the cracks of the unconscious without our awareness. In such moments, the self dissolves into a breath that flows into an instrument and becomes vibration, or it decides to take the pen in hand. To feel oneself as another is extraordinary: at once the self, the other, and neither. All coexisting within the same layer of time and the same space. This is the most perfect sensation an artist can experience.

   The modern world, including popular culture, demands form from today’s artist: creation that is measurable, packaged, and consumable. I call this fast-food creativity. For this very reason, I describe my own work as a modern Turkish dish, still steaming, infused with traditional melodies. Because the soul speaks its own language; it does not need molds, but spaces. Creation is not the polished and rounded shape society expects. It is angular. At times, it is being misunderstood; at times, solitude; and at times, the absence of an answer to the question, “Why did you do it this way?”

   True creation begins in the moment when the soul briefly leaves the body, light as a cloud yet heavy as the sky, watching from above and smiling softly. The self reaches its shadow, chaos takes form, and what lies hidden within us emerges, perhaps as a note, perhaps as a word. Maybe this is all creation is: invisible. As Rilke writes, “Art is something that grows within us with patience.” And what grows does not always reveal itself from the outside.

   Camus understands creation as a response to the absurd, for to create is to say “yes” to the world despite its meaninglessness. Just as meaning is first lost and then rediscovered through music; as days gain value through nights; as the existence of death gives life its worth.

   Since the age of seven, I have been singing, playing, learning, and daring to create. For me, this is the courage of being oneself. Perhaps the essence of it all lies in remembering Nietzsche’s warning: “To become who you are requires courage.”

   To all those fortunate enough to ignite their own inner light…