Three Ways to Turn Systemic Oppression into Creative Inspiration
“A revolution that is based on the people exercising their creativity in the midst of devastation is one of the great historical contributions of humankind.”
-Grace Lee Boggs
We are in the midst of a political firestorm that is bound to get worse.
The events of the last two weeks have snowballed into a boulder of fear and anxiety that has crushed its way into the chests of many people. The rhetoric of exclusion and unabashed xenophobia is now coming from an oval office that is becoming more opaque than ever.
Folks are rightly terrified.
Countless pieces have already been written to try and make sense of this debacle. Are we in the midst of a coup? Is the immigration ban just a way for the administration to test and ultimately destroy its checks on power?
We have enough political fortune tellers chiming in on the possibilities of an uncertain future. I’m not going to add to that growing pile of commentary. I’m not a political scientist, nor am I going to pretend to be one either.
So when I try to make sense of the world around me, I go back to what I do know:
Creativity.
Creativity is a malleable tool that can be used across a spectrum of emotions. When we experience joy, we use it to capture the essence of an amazingly positive emotion. When we experience sadness, we use it as a form of therapy to provide light in the darkness that envelopes us.
And when we face an uncertain future, we use it as a way to empower and embolden what we already know.
Many of us are uncertain about what the next four years will bring, but we are empowered in certainty about what we must do now:
Resist any discriminatory, unconstitutional, and immoral actions that threaten America’s core spirit and foundational values.
Progress is not sedentary. It is something that we must continuously fight for.
And it is our innate creativity that will ultimately drive progress and offer innovative solutions to quell an oppressive power. Let’s explore three concrete ways in which we can transform oppressive actions into a source of inspired creativity.
(1) Use Art as a Symbol of Resistance
“We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” -Elie Wiesel
Oppression’s chief goal is to suppress its targeted communities, but it can have the inverse effect.
It can be converted into creative inspiration that awakens a sleeping giant.
We now have so many tools to substantiate and elevate our thoughts. In a matter of mere minutes, movements can be created to fight for a cause.
Art resides at the center of many of these movements — in the same way corporations use logos to represent a product, art is the symbol that represents the resistance.
We have already seen beautiful and powerful works being created in response to the current administration:
There is a unique power in the organization of dissent. Whenever you are able to collectivize consciousness, it doesn’t matter how large or how small the group is. Having just one other passionate mind alongside you is enough to start a dialogue.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” — Margaret Mead
Art ignites dialogue, which in turn spreads awareness.
And awareness is what activates change.
Publications such as Resist! have regularly updated image galleries that empower the fight for basic human rights. As a creative, please consider spreading your work through various online communities to galvanize people around your message.
(2) Create Lighthearted Work That Recharges the Soul During Trying Times
This short, 3-panel comic by Alex Norris made me laugh at first, and then put me into a state of mindfuck shortly afterwards:
I love it because the message is so simple yet layered at the same time.
I was originally going to publish a piece about how custodians are the true saviors of corporate culture, but as I was reading through Medium and my news feeds, it just felt wrong that I wasn’t addressing our domestic political climate. It made me feel like I had no right to talk about anything else.
However, this type of non-political creative output still matters. It holds weight because it comes from an inspired place that existed for the creator at that precise moment.
Which leads me to the following conclusion:
It’s okay to NOT publish something about politics right now. If it came from an inspired moment, it will still resonate with people and will recharge the spirits of those who need it most.
Don’t feel bad that you’re writing about how shitty the Lakers are this season. Don’t feel bad that your painting has nothing to do with the stairwell that is the president’s chin. Don’t feel bad that your music doesn’t say anything about the recent Muslim ban.
In fact, my latest project is a short EP that only consists of uptempo house music. I’m sure that 135 beats per minute is a far cry away from the current administration’s tempo of choice, as Steve Bannon’s heart rate drags the average down to around 15.
Lighthearted and entertaining content act as batteries for the soul. Yes, it’s important to remain vigilant about the fight for justice, but we also have to retain our childlike spirit of amusement. That’s the only way we can replenish the optimism and resilience we need to carry the burden forward.
So create what your heart wants to make, regardless of the political environment. It might just be the energy bar we need to take the battle to the next step.
(3) Educate and empower the youth by linking their creative passions to the current political climate
“One child, one teacher, one book, and one pen can change the world.” -Malala Yousafzai
The youth will ultimately be the ones that personify hope and change. This is no secret, yet our education system continuously undermines this fact.
Sadly, it’s not getting any better. The competence of the current Education Secretary nominee ranges somewhere between zero and negative levels of infinity.
A top priority is to keep our youth informed and educated about how today’s political maneuvers can impact their immediate futures. However, we must be careful with our approach, as a dry political lecture is just as interesting as a lesson in polynomial multiplication to a 14-year old.
We must be creative in the way we convey our concerns and thoughts to the future generation. One interesting way to do this is to discover the link between their existing passions and the turbulent political landscape.
For example, I currently volunteer at Sessions LA, a non-profit music education program that teaches DJ’ing, beatmaking, and songwriting to the youth of Los Angeles. Before we start each day of programming, we do a check-in with all the students to discuss current events through the lens of musical history.
Last week, one of our educators played “Winter in America”, a powerful song by the late Gil-Scott Heron that details the shadows of American democracy and its failure to live up to the Constitution.
Although this song is well over 40 years old, it was able to ignite a dialogue between the students that revolved around the eerie familiarity of the lyrics to the current political climate.
Music acts as the vehicle to deliver these messages to the youth, and as long as music remains as the central connector between us, it will continue to do so.
What interests do your children or loved ones have that can be used as an anchor point for these conversations? Be innovative in your quest to educate the youth.
Our collective creativity is what will ultimately drive systemic progress
You may not consider yourself to be an artist, but we are all innately gifted. There are countless ways to use your words, talents, and skill sets to fight for what is right.
Creative solutions are highly effective against oppressive tactics because they are designed to draw an immediate reaction.
Write a piece about how the recent ban has impacted your local community. Make a funny sketch comedy video to bring lightheartedness to those that need it most. Sit down with your children and convey the happenings of the world through the lens of their interests.
Our resiliency shines brightest when we are at our most creative.
Ultimately, it will be the torch that illuminates the path towards our continual fight for progress.
Hey there, I’m Lawrence, and I make beats under the name Trebles and Blues. I just released a new EP, Set It Off, which is out now. For more music, feel free to check out my Soundcloud page.
