Artist Lives Matter. Especially Now.

Two days ago, the morning after Election Day,  I woke up and delayed looking at the news for as long as I could. I made the coffee, took my vitamins, walked to the mailbox, did my stretches (well, some of them). 

I knew exactly what I was doing - staying in the bubble for as long as possible. 

Of course, that bubble disappeared when I opened my iPad, to find that Trump had been re-elected.

I do not post political opinions on social media, mostly because it doesn’t change anybody’s mind and also because I work part-time as a neutral facts-only radio broadcaster. 

So I chose not to vent online. But I did scroll for thoughts that might help me feel less alone.

Eight years ago, I had blogged about holding on to hope when Trump was elected the first time. As a cautious, realistic optimist. I almost always choose hope. And also work for what I believe in. But the hope is admittedly harder this week. Five stages of grief.

Later that morning I taught a two-hour corporate workshop on “Dialing Down Tension”, booked six months prior. 14 people had signed up. Five showed up. We began by acknowledging the Elephant (and Donkey) in the room, and agreed to put that aside and focus on customer service and colleague interaction for two hours.

We chose common ground. We were able and willing to do that for two hours.

That night I went to my weekly comedy/storytelling class. I had to. I needed to. We needed each other.

The next night I went to a friend’s opening night of the play he directed about correspondence between two poets.

There was, and is, comfort in being with fellow artists - of all sorts.

Whoever you voted for, I guess you had your reasons. So be it. But many of us need comfort and hope now, for our own sanity.

However the next few years play out, we will need the connection, creativity, and solidarity of artistic expression. 

This morning I want to highlight how much we need to keep working, teaching, expressing, advocating and hoping.

Artist Lives Matter.

My facebook post:

“Dear fellow advocates, actors, activists, entertainers, journalists, teachers  and humorists: all (well, not ALL) I keep coming back to is that the world is going to need us more than ever in the next few years. What we do still matters. Human connection through art and honesty still matters. Our work must continue. It is who we are and what we have to contribute. We will hold each other up.”

Right now, this is the most hopeful thought I have. We will get through this. We need each other. We each have gifts to share, and we must let our lights shine together. 

Art matters. Human connection matters. Somehow we will hold each other up, and somehow we will make this right.Our eyes, ears and hearts are wide open, and we hear you.

In the meantime, we need to commiserate, make art, find empathy, and find a way to laugh together as we hold onto ideals.

Artist Lives Matter. Art can reach the heart.  I just bought the website. It’s a start.