Trauma, creativity and the Black experience

How we interpret the wounds of the world for our own inspiration

Sometimes it feels like creativity is the adopted child of trauma. Artists of all disciplines lean so heavily into trauma as a source of inspiration that we’ve somehow found a way to make consumers love the creations that come from this peculiar union.

It’s pretty much impossible to ignore the trauma that’s being flashed across our screens every day. It’s become far too routine and comfortable for us to observe people being abused, kidnapped, assaulted or even murdered through a post on social media.

It impacts all of us differently, but make no mistake, it does have an impact. For us creatives, I think the impact is unique. Our gift allows us to breathe in this trauma, interpret and transform it into something creative, and then breathe it out into something beautiful for the world to see. Even if we choose not to include the instances of trauma in our work, the absence of it becomes a statement in itself, especially when there are public events that capture the attention of the world and make it all but impossible to ignore.

The wounds of the world

Emotionally, however, we need to remember to give ourselves a break. Our sensitivity as creatives is our superpower, but it’s also our…