A is for Art as Resistance
Week A | Wednesday | To mope or to make something
In the opening salvo of another one of my perhaps-too-many-Substacks, I linked to Toni Morrison’s essay about how depressing, maddening times made her want to give up on creativity, and how a friend kicked her arse about it. It’s more important in such times than ever.
“Yes, the world seems to be going to hell in a hand-basket. That’s no reason to lie down and give up; quite the opposite. When it comes to creative renaissance, there’s never been a more important time for this. Art is armour. Re-enchantment is resistance. Every creative act is an act of hope, for ourselves and for all of us.‘
✨ Moi
Lots of people think so. Sometimes quite vehemently.
If you’re actively creative, are you creating? If not, make something. It might be therapeutic if what you make directly relates to your feelings about the world as it is, and wish it would be. If nothing else, it might reduce a sense of hopelessness. There’s no act more hopeful than making something new and sharing it. Semper fortis.