It is so tempting to slip entirely into one or the other: what is, or what is possible.
I keep asking myself the same questions: What is the role of an artist in times of atrocity? What does it means to be a creative person who faces the facts and then spends my day on brush marks and wet shapes? How do the small stories of my singular life hold up alongside our big collective ones? Why would someone paint when war and genocide are happening, now? and now?
How do I keep to the two things I must be able to do:
to see what is (wholehearted, unflinching)
to see what is possible (hopeful action without a promise of results)?
Writer Natalie Goldberg offers this: “We are important and our lives are important, magnificent really, and their details are worthy to be recorded. This is how writers must think, this is how we must sit down with pen in hand. We were here; we are human beings; this is how we lived. Let it be known, the earth passed before us. Our details are important. Otherwise, if they are not, we can drop a bomb and it doesn't matter. . . Recording the details of our lives is a stance against bombs with their mass ability to kill, against too much speed and efficiency. A writer must say yes to life, to all of life.”
Perhaps it’s that. Perhaps images make it possible to understand each other, a good sentence can help us grieve. I don’t know. But I made this piece about the question.
I do believe that whatever is possible will be the nurtured parts of what is, it will not come in like magic, a free-floating future suddenly in our laps. It will be made of the pieces we have in front of us. It will be the next moment, and the next, of this world.
I hope you join me in calling your representatives to support a ceasefire, to stay, as much as you are able, connected to what is and what is possible.
I made this piece for October Patreon members — if you’d like one, join us on a tier with a print reward before the end of the month. RECEIVE A PRINT
Mini notebooks coming TOMORROW morning!
Look at these sweet little books:
There are three designs, each 3.5” x 5" with 32 pages (blank or dot grid).
They’re going live in the patron shop tomorrow morning at 10AM Pacific. For the password to shop, join us on Patreon (all tiers have access — the Tip Jar tier is just $3 and you’ll get a $10 off code you can use right away).
We ordered a small batch so come by close to 10AM for the best selection
Love this. Thank you for your writing and your art ❤️
Love all of this, from the sentiments to the work. :-)