Designing is young Dwight Beaton’s passion

DWIGHT Beaton was able to find his true passion and realise his real potential thanks to the loving interest that a teacher took in him. She noticed his artistic skills in class and encouraged him to reach out and do more to enhance them.

Dwight, 25, the youngest councillor on the Bartica Town Council, was born and raised at Caribese Hill, Bartica, and was studying in the Arts stream.

“So, I was always sketching something and my Form Mistress, Lavern Spencer, saw what I was drawing one day and told me I was really good,” Dwight recalled during an interview with the Pepperpot Magazine.
“I don’t know if the stars aligned or something, but that same year, the Bartica Regatta did a designer’s quest and it was opened to students and young adults. In the same week, Ms. Spencer brought the form to me and encouraged me to sign up for it,” Dwight added.
That teacher provided the moulding Dwight needed and gave him advice and reassurance that he was going to do well.

That wasn’t the first time that Dwight’s interest was sparked in this field though, because even as young as 10 years old, he can recall helping to design a gown. “I started designing when I was 10, but I didn’t think much of it. I thought to myself that I was good at drawing; gifted in the arts, and I just started designing and fashion. It became a reality, and I thought this is the best thing for me and what I should do. I wouldn’t say I chose my profession; it chose me,” he expressed.

Dwight designs dresses, accessories and costumes, and does the ‘Mash’ band for the Town Council. He has been working with the council in this regard for the past two years. He sews some of the costumes himself but employs the services of a seamstress to help with the technical work.

“Designing just comes to me; I am inspired by anything. I can be on the beach just hanging out and I could be inspired by the waves. I could be at home and just see some insect or anything, and the inspiration just comes to me and this could be transformed into clothing,” Dwight said.

He’s gotten so good at what he does that he is now able to work with people abroad and regionally. He also works with pageants that are held all across Guyana.

POLITICS

Dwight decided to enter politics last year because he said he wanted to fill a void that he observed young people were experiencing. “Being someone in the spotlight all the time in Bartica, I saw that I had a great platform for people to listen to me and gravitate towards me,” he said.

Recently, at the Bartica Congress, Dwight was elected Chairman of Social Development. “So that comes with a lot of responsibilities, and I want to use that position to create a lot of family-friendly events.”

Dwight believes that it is his drive, talent, and passion for what he does that set him apart from any other 25 year-old. “There isn’t any other Dwight out there,” he proudly said.
He advises that young people should aim to be themselves. “Be yourself, and people will gravitate towards you for you. The minute that you want to be somebody else; that’s where the problem comes. Be happy with who you are, find yourself and be responsible and professional.”

Dwight also believes that life is an ongoing journey and that there’s always room for improvement in what someone does.
He is particularly appreciative of some of the effort that government has been making to better the lives of Guyanese. “I applaud the government in terms of the crime rate going drastically down, and I really applaud them on the cleaning-up of Guyana. The country was in a deplorable state regarding garbage disposal. They also show accountability because they don’t cover up anything; they put everything on the spotlight.”