Creativity in Times of Calamity

What writing still means in a world on fire

Photo by Alessio Soggetti on Unsplash

In happier times, there never used to be a feeling of guilt that went along with writing what I wanted to write. It would be an end in itself regardless of the topic. But as I’ve watched democracy erode around me, there’s been a growing sense that the only subject worth talking about is politics.

I think a lot about the concept of “ikigai.” It’s a Japanese term that translates to “a reason for being,” and more specifically, refers to finding the intersection of what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can make a living doing. But more than the world needing a greater number of writers, I often feel that it needs more people speaking out against tyranny, both at home and abroad.

I hate to speak in unilateral terms when I say that not all writing is created equal. But it’s hard sometimes for me to build a case that erotica is essential to our species’ endeavor for a better world. When I write fiction or cover entertainment, I can’t help but fear that there are greater uses of that same linguistic effort.

I’m torn between two camps. On one hand, it’s just not possible for people to contend with all of the misery that’s out there. To take in each dismal news development as it happens is to consume more negativity…