Creativity as RESISTance!
Welcome!
Unsure where to channel your creativity?
Do you believe in a myth that you have no creativity?
Want to add more spark to your life?
Read on
Creativity as RESISTance!
In honor of the resistance movement and “No Kings” march this Saturday, I’m offering suggestions and purpose to help connect creativity with protest movements. When things get ugly, art emerges. And let’s face it: things have gotten ugly.
A few months ago, I attended a protest in my small mountain community. The gathering transformed anger and worry into a time for hope and laughter. Folks wore rainbow boas and pink pussy hats while carrying colorful posters. My favorite, Trump Skis with Jeans, is a joke only locals would understand, but other designs were more obvious. People snapped photos, high-fived each other, and gleefully chanted. It was a good afternoon.
When we resist as a collective, we mobilize our discontent. Symbols, such as the rainbow, foster solidarity, which makes us feel less alone. We gather to insist on change and, at the same time, envision what we want done differently. Using our imagination is a creative act and essential to resistance movements.
Protest art often reflects the ideals of marginalized communities and confronts ruthless policies. Music gives voice to injustice. Murals and posters offer hope. Writing raises awareness. Storytelling can reclaim erased narratives, especially among Indigenous, queer, Black, or immigrant communities. Examples of artists who’ve used their art as forms of protest include Beyonce, Pablo Picasso, Joy Harjo, Brandan Bmike Odums, and so very many other brave individuals.
My daughter’s best friend recently married a Cuban artist. They live among a collective group that uses their music, mural-making, tattoo art, and poetry to protest a long string of corrupt leaders. When my daughter visited, she experienced blackouts, no running water, leaking rooves, and minimal food. She also experienced tremendous community, love, empathy, and creativity. Art in Cuba, like in so many places, is used to challenge and raise awareness about issues like censorship, political repression, and economic hardship. It’s also used to find relief and build community.
Art allows people to work through grief, anxiety, displacement, or anger. It becomes a safe space to explore and express pain. For those who have endured trauma, a creative practice can mean the difference between survival and despair.
So, you ask, how can we create and appreciate art as a form of resistance? Here are 10 ideas:
1. Paint a poster and go wild with colors, phrases, and expression
2. If you don’t want to join a protest, give your poster to someone who does
3. Join a group of like-minded people to share stories and express emotions
4. Listen to Kendrick Lamar, Joan Baez, and other musicians speaking up and out against injustice
5. Support artists who use their art form as resistance
6. Dance
7. Shout it out, then laugh it out
8. Sing (no one needs to hear you in the shower)
9. Attend a play that highlights inequality
10. Scribble, doodle, or paint for the shear fun of it
Creating beauty, humor, or pleasure is a political act of defiance, so hop in and protest through art. Radical joy is a form of resistance!
Photo Below: Cuban mural by Abepi, Fichu, 2+2+5?
Quotes for the Soul!
“Art is the triumph over chaos. ”
“Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world…would do this, it would change the earth.”
“Joy is an act of resistance.”
“The likelihood that your acts of resistance cannot stop the injustice does not exempt you from acting in what you sincerely and reflectively hold to be the best interests of your community.”
“The warrior and the artist live by the same code of necessity, which dictates that the battle must be fought anew every day.”
“Artists are the gatekeepers of truth.”
Remember
If you need help developing a creative practice, I’m available as a creative coach.
Bonus Free Gift.
Email me a question or creative topic that interests you, and I’ll mail you an original spirit card.
Thanks for reading. Creativity is not a command performance, but I hope you’ll stay and become inspired. If you know someone interested in creative endeavors, please forward this on!
Yours in spirited creativity,