Were you hoping for a new direction in this election?
Yes? No?
Either way, those of us living in the United States are heading in a new direction now. We are witnessing some unprecedented history taking place. The first Black woman in history is running for president of the United States of America. And she is running against a convicted felon who led an insurrection – with email invites and all.
The 2024 election is not a movie, but it is captivating..
This election invokes big feelings, stirs hopes and fears, and it’s got the power to transport us into a story beyond our wildest imagination.
And this is where artists come in. Throughout history, we’ve told the stories. We’ve written the songs, penned the poetry, painted the canvases and expressed the truth as we see it. We can capture the essence of an emotionally charged mass of once-friendly neighbors, we can communicate a feeling through colors, and we can tell the truth in whatever medium we choose.
I’m admittedly passionate about this topic, so if you want to read more about artists telling the stories of politics, check out this blog post: Art and Politics… How Art Tells the Stories of the Times.
Artists have the unique superpowers necessary to document a new direction unfolding beneath our feet. We just have to do it in a way that feels authentic to each of us.
So, how can we dust off our crafty tools and get to work on documenting a new direction in history?
I wish I had all of the answers. There are a million ways to take this snapshot.
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You can literally take a snapshot.
Use photography to document or tell the story of an issue that’s important to you; educate people through telling a photography story. You don’t have to be pro. You can even poke around on Pinterest to see how other creative have shared important causes through photography. Just tell a story, and share it.
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If a picture paints a thousand words…
And if there are a thousand different ways to paint those stories? Pull out your paintbrushes and start telling the stories that you feel must be told. You can use paint to tell the stories of a new direction in history, and there are so many stories that need to be shared.
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Wax poetic.
Poetry comes in so many forms, and I think one of the most lovely things about poetry is the way it tells a story in the most condensed sense. There are poets who can send a chill down your spine, and those who can light you up. One of my favorite poets is Morgan Harper Nichols; she paints with words and paint both, and she can communicate a feeling in the most relatable “I-feel-seen” ways.
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Sculpt or carve.
Whether you create sculptures from nuts and bolts, build a Buddha from gold leafed pebbles, or carve soap, sculpture can truly make an impact. I recently learned of a dragon sculpted from license plates that reflect the way a dragon’s scales would reflect. Think of how many ways you can use physical objects to share the messages of women’s rights or the climate crisis.
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Write the song.
What better way to make something “sticky” than to write a song that people can’t get out of their head? Some of the most meaningful songs were written in climates of political distress. Of course my sampling is very Gen X:
- Jesus Jones, Right Here Right Now was written about the Berlin Wall in the late eighties
- The Cranberries, Zombie was written about two boys who died in by a bomb in Northern Ireland
- Sinead O’Connor also wrote a ton of incredible protest music
- U2, Sunday Bloody Sunday was also written about the conflict in Northern Ireland, when British troops opened fire on unarmed civil protestors
This is just a small sampling of how artists can preserve the moments in time that are literally turning the ship, shifting us into a new direction, changing history as we go.
We will never be in this moment again. There will never be an election quite like this one. How will you share your thoughts, feelings, wishes and fears about this new direction we’re heading?
We all connect through the stories we tell. I wish you so much creativity and connectedness as you pen your story or sculpt your victory cactus (it’s a thing). We are the ones who will leave the legacies through our stories.
Other posts you may enjoy:
Activism Art: Changing Hearts and Minds Through Creative Expression
Give Yourself Permission – to be Creative.. to be Authentic.. to be Human
