after the election: a note to artists of all sorts

Good evening,
I do not usually write about politics, but I have spent the last few days talking with clients who are devastated and depressed. What do these results say about where we are living and what is going to happen going forward? There is so much fear and sadness. And there is a crushing let down and sense of purposelessness. 

I had a day of the floor dropping out, but right now I feel a renewed sense of purpose. It was reading Venice William's poem that got me turned around. And below are my thoughts for all artists.

You are awakening to the
same country you fell asleep to.
The very same country.
Pull yourself together.
And,
when you see me,
do not ask me
"What do we do now?
How do we get through the next four years?"
Some of my Ancestors dealt with
at least 400 years of this
under worse conditions.
Continue to do the good work.
Continue to build bridges not walls.
Continue to lead with compassion.
Continue the demanding work
of liberation for all.
Continue to dismantle broken systems,
large and small.
Continue to set the best example
for the children.
Continue to be a vessel of nourishing joy.
Continue right where you are.
Right where you live into your days.
Do so in the name of
The Creator who expects
nothing less from each of us.
And if you are not "continuing"
ALL of the above,
in community, partnership, collaboration?
What is it you have been doing?
What is it you are waiting for?


The work that we are doing as artists and creatives is essential now and always. 

By doing the vulnerable and challenging work of being an artist, going into the not knowing of the creative process, allowing ourselves to follow our impulses and draw out the bits and pieces that sing true and that move our souls, that captivate us and let us fall in love, by doing this work, this play, this thing that seems at times like groping around in the dark and other times like dancing with your eyes closed, and still other times like caressing the delicate skin of your sleeping child, you are tapping our deepest and most needful truths.

Yes it is personal. Of course it is personal.

But it is not only about you. The more you can open your own heart, the more you reveal the heart of the culture.

So don't stay in the surface.
don't accept they are bad and we are good.
don't jump on the band wagon and rally the troops
You know it is so much more beautiful and sad and painful and rich than that.
None of us are all good or all bad, right or wrong
listen to the heart of the other- this is what we need to heal our divided place
listen to the pain and the struggle and the desires and hopes
and have the courage to share yourself as well.

We get to see into the complex challenging places at the edge of our own discomfort
We get to reveal the places that need healing and growth
We get to bring tenderness and love to the wounds
We get to provide rest and nourishment in our songs and colors
We get to push buttons with our wry lyrics
We get to be at the front lines of change- helping our cultures shift in subtle and powerful ways.

So take time on your couch with your cat
walk in the woods and pay attention to the light coming through the freshly naked branches
Listen to the crunching leaves of fall
Let go of the effort for a bit
let yourself rest for a bit
wrap up in a cozy blanket and drink tea and watch the change of light

and then get your clay in hand, your guitar, your paint brush or pen
and let yourself play into what is alive in you.
sooth your own soul first
then let the rest of us hear your song.
we need it.

warmly,
Val
Taproot Community-
Tuesday mornings on Zoom from 9 am ET to 11am ET and on first Tuesdays until !2 pm ET
This is for artists and creatives who work largely on their own and could use some accountability and comradery. I have found this group to be enormously effective at keeping us all focused and motivated and having just enough structure so that procrastination and distraction do not get the better of us. It's also just a really wonderful group of folks to connect with! 
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More Info on the Taproot Community