Every single day, it seems like a fountain of bad news vomits itself across the entirety of the world. It's a relentless onslaught that—if too much time is spent dwelling on it—can bring you to your emotional and mental knees. We're living during raging fascism in the states, struggling through late-stage capitalism, and floundering against a boring dystopia. How could anyone ever hope to create during these tumultuous times?
That's the point and the problem: creativity is needed now more than ever. Art might not be able to put food on the table. It might not pay the bills. In fact, it probably won't, much to the dismay of every creative soul on the planet. However, the need for art—right here right now—is at its strongest during times of strife.
We need to create and express ourselves during times of pain and hardship. It's a human imperative—a feature, not a bug. But with the downpour of terrible events in human history, it can be hard to tap that creative well. Believe me, I get it. I spend most days in a vegetative state, binging shows until the art bus hits me and I dive into a new adventure.
So if you find yourself struggling with a blank page or a blank canvas, know that you're not alone. Know that it's temporary and try your best to write a few words. Put down a paragraph. Sketch out a form on paper. Do your best to create because that's where the emotional catharsis comes into play. Art is meant to be expression, but it's also pretty handy for processing emotional and mental issues, that of which we are all going through right now.
We're collectively experiencing trauma, and no, this isn't just about COVID. It's about the world order cracking at the very foundations. Trauma can come from anything and everything that besieges us at the moment, is traumatizing. If you didn't know, one of trauma's worst enemies is the pen and the paintbrush.
When you feel out of control, when you feel down, when you feel like the world is ending, picking up a pencil and doodling some silly little guy really does help. Taking all the feelings and thoughts from your skull and creating a story from them helps as well. But the benefits of artwork don't just stop at releasing your metaphorical demons.
We can then look upon our creations and learn something about ourselves from them. Great art is a mirror into not only the fabric of society, but that of the creator themselves. Traveling down into your own depths can be scary, but it's also liberating. Finally, you put down all your anxiety into a frenetic, evocative piece of visual artwork. Finally, you wrote about loneliness and pain in a sweeping fantasy story that ends on a high note. Art imprints upon you just as you imprint upon your artwork. It's a reciprocal relationship that heals and nurtures the spirit.
Just breathe, create something, process what you're feeling, and keep making. I assure you, any small creative act will help you navigate the choppy waters, if you let it.
