"I think most art comes out of poverty and hard times." –
Willie Nelson
It's easy to say that 2020 has been
a year like no other. I've neither heard nor read the word, 'unprecedented' so
much in my entire life. (Who's with me on permanently striking that one from
the dictionary?) Any one of the major events of this year—-a global pandemic
with 1.3 million casualties, economic upheaval, catastrophic fires on the west
coast, an extremely volatile political climate and civil unrest—-would be
horrifying. But all at once? How are we to respond, apart from large quantities
of profanity and alcohol?
We're home sheltering in place, not going out to movies,
restaurants, or concerts. Is that sparking creativity? We've all heard that
great art comes from great adversity, and history has proven that to be true. But
what does that look like in 2020? I'm curious to know if my fellow creative
types are able to concentrate long enough to make art. It's been hit or miss
for me. One day I feel that 'now or never' passion and the next I have the
attention span of a gnat. So, my creative friends, are you painting, recording
music, writing? Or are you staring at a blank canvas or blinking cursor?
Another concern I've
struggled with is how to avoid appearing tone deaf. The pandemic is far from
over, with new cases on the rise in staggering numbers across the country, the
sheer ugliness and dangerous division the election brought to light make our
democracy feel extremely fragile, fires were raging from San Diego to Seattle
in September and October, and here I sit, saying, "Hey, I wrote something.
Wanna read it?"
So what's the answer? I have no idea. Crises cause a deep
emotional response, which can lead to beautiful art, amazing music, and
stirring poetry, which we certainly need right now, don't we? It doesn't feel
like we're coming out of this anytime soon. Seems to me it's time for more art. I'll be here attempting to summon the muse. Who's with me?
No comments:
Post a Comment