Creativity is one of the best counters to all the craziness.
I could go on a long diatribe about the state of world affairs. There are so many things happening today that are infuriating, terrifying, nonsensical, unbelievable, and just totally fucked up. While it’s important to be aware of them so that you know what to boycott, how to vote, when and where to protest, and so on – it’s far too easy to be overwhelmed by them. That, frankly, is depressing.
Instead, let’s focus on what you and I can do. We can keep creating and making art.
But, you might question, isn’t that utterly selfish? No, it’s not. That’s because while art is an expression of your inner being, it’s shared to impact others. Paintings, photographs, books, dances, plays, TV shows, and all the other artistic media of the world are for everyone when you put them out there. And even if you’re an amateur and keep them to yourself, they have a positive impact on your health, wellness, and wellbeing. That positive impact can spread positivity to and between others.
In the face of all the craziness out there, the world needs your art now more than ever.
Building/creating is the opposite of demolishing/restricting
Too many of the so-called “leaders” in the world today are hell-bent on demolishing, restricting, dismantling, and tearing the world apart. All sorts of things that have been put in place to foster building, creating, expanding, and including are being dismantled in the name of profit, false visions of religious and/or ethnic/racial purity, and so on.
Often it feels like you need to fight fire with fire. Sometimes, yes, that’s true – at least to get their attention and change narratives. But to do anything sustainable and lasting you need to be building and creating.
In just a hundred years, the human race went from barely being able to learn what was happening on the other side of town to being able to know, right now, what’s happening across the globe. Travel that frequently took days and even weeks is now completed in hours. Diseases that were rampant and killed millions for centuries are now largely eradicated. All of that is the result of acts of building and creating.
Demolishing and restricting creates only wholly artificial limitations. It’s all centered on ideas of lack, scarcity, and insufficiency that are largely total bullshit. In truth, it’s almost entirely about disempowerment, control, and making a select few feel powerful.
Building and creating is what it takes to overcome demolishing and restricting. Just because they knocked your creation down doesn’t mean you can’t recreate it again. And that’s why the world needs your art now more than ever.
Your art is your empowerment
If you are any kind of professional artist, you’ve had to overcome a lot of adversity. Naysayers, false beliefs about what success is, well-meaning people worried about your earning capacity, and so on. It takes mental, emotional, spiritual, and sometimes even physical fortitude to make and sell your art.
Yet when you do your art and put it out there in the world, you’re expressing your empowerment. Being an artist – writer, painter, sculptor, singer, whatever – gives a part of you to the world not just for you, but to inspire and/or empower others.
When forces of disempowerment and fear are working overtime to overwhelm the world, the world needs your art. Why else do governments actively ban books, restrict media, censor art, and the like? Because empowered people need them way less.
That’s why the world needs your art now more than ever. Because you are performing an act of creating/building that combats the acts of demolishing/restricting. Your art tells them that not everyone is willing to roll over and show them their bellies. It’s not that your art is an act of defiance (unless it is), but that it’s a symbol of empowerment.
You, dear artist, are a beacon in the dark. You’re offering people something that they can take heart from, get inspired by, and recognize their own empowerment through. And all you need to do is keep making your art.
Your art is a symbol of hope
It doesn’t matter if you make any form of fine art. You don’t need to be a big name, a bestseller, a celebrity, or whatnot. As a creator, as an artist, you have a positive impact on the world.
Artists don’t turn pro without a great deal of struggle, hard work, and striving. Books don’t write themselves, photos aren’t magically taken, and paint doesn’t mystically appear on canvas – all of these are created and built. That’s the artist being empowered and creating something.
Doing acts of building and creating sends a message that you hope and strive for potential and possibility to better the world around you. Even if you create your art without that intent, that’s part of the impact it can have.
That’s why the world needs your art now more than ever. Because in the face of overwhelming bullshit, fear, and demolishing/restricting, art is a product of potential, courage, and building/creating better. This too shall pass, and making your art isn’t selfish or in any way detrimental – it’s empowering and advantageous.
You might not see it that way, and that’s okay. Every little bit of creativity is another spark of hope for overcoming the craziness. And you are most definitely not alone.
Thanks for reading. As I share my creative journey with you every week, please consider this: How are you inspired and empowered to be your own creator, whatever form that takes?
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