Combining the creative impulse with a need to get my hands in the dirt to feel sane, I’m converting my suburban lawn to a pollinator/wildlife garden. Hoping this action not only helps the planet but also encourages my neighbors to think about how we might steward the land differently. Thank you for this space, Wendy, and thank you for your heart.
I've been shifting my gardening clients that way...hoping to use gardening as a way to safely bridge into conversations that are challenging for some people.
I have become so overwhelmed by what is going on in our country and the world, I had forgotten why I create. Flopping on dry land like a fish out of water is a creative who doesn't create. Thank you for throwing me back.
This came at the right time, Wendy. Thank you! I haven’t been making much art lately. What I have been doing is volunteering at my local animal shelter through their Friends’ group, and using some of my skills like photography and writing there, along with hands-on care of the cats. I’m not fighting fascism on the front lines, but I am working for my community. And perhaps the way we mistreat animals in our communities stems in part from a patriarchal, controlling society. I am all about trying to nurture changing attitudes.
One of the ways that I create it with laughter. Last fall, I became a Laughter yoga teacher and I laugh regularly with an international group on Zoom. We laugh for peace, health, joy, happiness, and strength. We laugh to keep going no matter what is happening to us and around us.
International Laughter Club is free and open to all. I highly recommend you attend. The benefits are amazing. Here's the link if you feel called.
My art is my photography. Photographing the beauty that is out there in the world waiting to be seen if you look. I also play with paints which brings me peace, but that’s nothing serious.
Thank you. Thank you. Five minutes ago I finished reading Naomi Klein’s oh-so-good-and-so-relevant book, Doppelgänger, and was pondering how to be more courageous with my art in this time of horrifying Fascism and then this contribution from you arrived in my inbox. Oh I adore synchronicity. I write. I photograph. I perform. And I care. Also, I love your vibrant sense of humor. Thank you.
Thanks for asking how we are doing and what we are doing while living under an increasingly crazy/contorted/controlled/censored society.. And hooray tor Amy Sherald to draw the line to say no way am I going to exhibit with those curtailed situations.. On John Lewis 'make good trouble day" I had written a quote on my sign taken from one of Amos Kennedy's posters, which basically says: "You do not have to worry about what you are doing if it is right". It got me talking with a friend about how I liked his (Kennedy's) work, and had always thought that someday I would carve out a set of letters for a letterpress set of linoleum block "wooden letterpress -type letters to print, and my pal really lit up, and was excited to hear about Amos Kennedy and that sort of work. You see, I met Angel when I was protesting by myself at our town square. When I invited Angel and partner Zoey to join me for a bit holding signs up, they did! They were the only ones besides my husband who showed up regularly! So I promptly named this project A to Z people's press poster project.. (A-Z PPPP!) it took me 3 weeks to cut, sand, glue, and coat, the letters we ended up using.. carving wil; have to be a project for the long haul (not done yet!) and those blocks are now made, but not carved. For expediency, I bought some thin plyboard letters and made my own numbers and symbols out of matt board the same thickness. We can now letterpress using people standing on the plates for the pressure to print the lettering onto the paper. We watercolor backgrounds that illustrate the quotes and then print over the top of the watercolors.. We did our trial run 3 weeks ago, and then once in the city park, and then this weekend at a rally, and protest posters art show.. of which I contributed about one third of the posters displayed! I had not realized that I made so many... illustrating many of them.. and lettering on all of them of course! So this is one way I have been showing up using my art.... not exactly what I wanted to do with my art -making time, but felt it necessary to show up and protesting to be heard..
Thank you for this. I’m already active in too many issues and communities, and as a spoonie I’m feeling the need to narrow my focus and steward my own energy more compassionately. That’s difficult (painful actually!) because I care so much about all of it. I’ve thought about diving into overtly political art but I keep feeling drawn into sharing beauty, joy and energy in both photography (primarily featuring birds and dogs) and painting. It’s what I need for balance amidst the horrors and hopefully it helps others too. It has definitely helped my poet friend in Gaza who loves my bird photos and recently told me “my friend, you paint the walls of our hearts with bright colors, trying to erase the traces of sadness and draw features of joy.”
I wish I could do photography for political actions but between my balance issues and fatigue I’d probably fall over halfway through the protest and break yet another joint! Maybe I could ask a friend to hold me up. 😂
I am absolutely going to spread this far and wide. What you’re doing here matters so much. At a time when silence is demanded, you remind us that creativity is resistance, that dignity needs color and form as much as it needs words. I’m deeply grateful for you and for everyone making space for art against fascism. Thank you for keeping this flame alive.
Thank you for speaking to this. I just finished skimming a few posts from Lincoln Square (former Republican strategists getting under Tr***'s skin for years with their ads). The two I just read were calling out Hollywood for going silent. This might be a reach - but how the hell do I know what a "reach" is? Anyways, they have a comedian who is running interviews on "Punching Up"...wonder if you should get on their radar screen?
Wow. This is all amazing and helpful. What’s going on in our world has been so crazy and difficult especially as I spent my working life as a writer promoting women’s rights and feminism. Now as an artist, I never would have thought I would see so much anger and push back. It’s overwhelming. I’m glad to read about this community coming together to fight again. Keep it up!
Gonna offer monthly relaxation yoga classes for free to teachers, organizers, parents and students. This post inspired me to just go for it inspire if my nerves. 🧘🏽♂️
Combining the creative impulse with a need to get my hands in the dirt to feel sane, I’m converting my suburban lawn to a pollinator/wildlife garden. Hoping this action not only helps the planet but also encourages my neighbors to think about how we might steward the land differently. Thank you for this space, Wendy, and thank you for your heart.
I've been shifting my gardening clients that way...hoping to use gardening as a way to safely bridge into conversations that are challenging for some people.
I love you, Wendy.
I have become so overwhelmed by what is going on in our country and the world, I had forgotten why I create. Flopping on dry land like a fish out of water is a creative who doesn't create. Thank you for throwing me back.
This came at the right time, Wendy. Thank you! I haven’t been making much art lately. What I have been doing is volunteering at my local animal shelter through their Friends’ group, and using some of my skills like photography and writing there, along with hands-on care of the cats. I’m not fighting fascism on the front lines, but I am working for my community. And perhaps the way we mistreat animals in our communities stems in part from a patriarchal, controlling society. I am all about trying to nurture changing attitudes.
One of the ways that I create it with laughter. Last fall, I became a Laughter yoga teacher and I laugh regularly with an international group on Zoom. We laugh for peace, health, joy, happiness, and strength. We laugh to keep going no matter what is happening to us and around us.
International Laughter Club is free and open to all. I highly recommend you attend. The benefits are amazing. Here's the link if you feel called.
https://www.laughteryoga.org/zoom-laughter-club/
My art is my photography. Photographing the beauty that is out there in the world waiting to be seen if you look. I also play with paints which brings me peace, but that’s nothing serious.
Thank you. Thank you. Five minutes ago I finished reading Naomi Klein’s oh-so-good-and-so-relevant book, Doppelgänger, and was pondering how to be more courageous with my art in this time of horrifying Fascism and then this contribution from you arrived in my inbox. Oh I adore synchronicity. I write. I photograph. I perform. And I care. Also, I love your vibrant sense of humor. Thank you.
Thanks for asking how we are doing and what we are doing while living under an increasingly crazy/contorted/controlled/censored society.. And hooray tor Amy Sherald to draw the line to say no way am I going to exhibit with those curtailed situations.. On John Lewis 'make good trouble day" I had written a quote on my sign taken from one of Amos Kennedy's posters, which basically says: "You do not have to worry about what you are doing if it is right". It got me talking with a friend about how I liked his (Kennedy's) work, and had always thought that someday I would carve out a set of letters for a letterpress set of linoleum block "wooden letterpress -type letters to print, and my pal really lit up, and was excited to hear about Amos Kennedy and that sort of work. You see, I met Angel when I was protesting by myself at our town square. When I invited Angel and partner Zoey to join me for a bit holding signs up, they did! They were the only ones besides my husband who showed up regularly! So I promptly named this project A to Z people's press poster project.. (A-Z PPPP!) it took me 3 weeks to cut, sand, glue, and coat, the letters we ended up using.. carving wil; have to be a project for the long haul (not done yet!) and those blocks are now made, but not carved. For expediency, I bought some thin plyboard letters and made my own numbers and symbols out of matt board the same thickness. We can now letterpress using people standing on the plates for the pressure to print the lettering onto the paper. We watercolor backgrounds that illustrate the quotes and then print over the top of the watercolors.. We did our trial run 3 weeks ago, and then once in the city park, and then this weekend at a rally, and protest posters art show.. of which I contributed about one third of the posters displayed! I had not realized that I made so many... illustrating many of them.. and lettering on all of them of course! So this is one way I have been showing up using my art.... not exactly what I wanted to do with my art -making time, but felt it necessary to show up and protesting to be heard..
Thank you for this. I’m already active in too many issues and communities, and as a spoonie I’m feeling the need to narrow my focus and steward my own energy more compassionately. That’s difficult (painful actually!) because I care so much about all of it. I’ve thought about diving into overtly political art but I keep feeling drawn into sharing beauty, joy and energy in both photography (primarily featuring birds and dogs) and painting. It’s what I need for balance amidst the horrors and hopefully it helps others too. It has definitely helped my poet friend in Gaza who loves my bird photos and recently told me “my friend, you paint the walls of our hearts with bright colors, trying to erase the traces of sadness and draw features of joy.”
I wish I could do photography for political actions but between my balance issues and fatigue I’d probably fall over halfway through the protest and break yet another joint! Maybe I could ask a friend to hold me up. 😂
The flower drawing are so beautiful!
Great job
I am absolutely going to spread this far and wide. What you’re doing here matters so much. At a time when silence is demanded, you remind us that creativity is resistance, that dignity needs color and form as much as it needs words. I’m deeply grateful for you and for everyone making space for art against fascism. Thank you for keeping this flame alive.
Thank you for speaking to this. I just finished skimming a few posts from Lincoln Square (former Republican strategists getting under Tr***'s skin for years with their ads). The two I just read were calling out Hollywood for going silent. This might be a reach - but how the hell do I know what a "reach" is? Anyways, they have a comedian who is running interviews on "Punching Up"...wonder if you should get on their radar screen?
Wow. This is all amazing and helpful. What’s going on in our world has been so crazy and difficult especially as I spent my working life as a writer promoting women’s rights and feminism. Now as an artist, I never would have thought I would see so much anger and push back. It’s overwhelming. I’m glad to read about this community coming together to fight again. Keep it up!
Gonna offer monthly relaxation yoga classes for free to teachers, organizers, parents and students. This post inspired me to just go for it inspire if my nerves. 🧘🏽♂️
Love this
thank you for writing this! I love that Toni Morrison quote and it's so important now more than ever.
I host a radio show and tonight I'm talking about the power of self-expression through lyrics.
I asked supporters and listeners to send in a song about a song that gave them a sense of freedom.
I would not be the artist I am today without music and bands who spoke their minds and rebelled.
This is wonderful.
Exactly what I needed today!