As the Light of the world seems to flicker, the Light of art shines more brightly.
Following are some seemingly disparate examples of Light. But they are all interconnected, as we are all interconnected.
Poetry
I have resigned as poetry editor of The New York Times Magazine.
The Israeli state’s U.S-backed war against the people of Gaza is not a war for anyone. There is no safety in it or from it, not for Israel, not for the United States or Europe, and especially not for the many Jewish people slandered by those who claim falsely to fight in their names. Its only profit is the deadly profit of oil interests and weapon manufacturers.
The world, the future, our hearts—everything grows smaller and harder from this war. It is not only a war of missiles and land invasions. It is an ongoing war against the people of Palestine, people who have resisted through decades of occupation, forced dislocation, deprivation, surveillance, siege, imprisonment, and torture.
Because our status quo is self-expression, sometimes the most effective mode of protest for artists is to refuse.
I can’t write about poetry amidst the “reasonable” tones of those who aim to acclimatize us to this unreasonable suffering. No more ghoulish euphemisms. No more verbally sanitized hellscapes. No more warmongering lies.
If this resignation leaves a hole in the news the size of poetry, then that is the true shape of the present.
— Anne Boyer Nov 16, 2023
If this resignation leaves a hole in the news the size of poetry, then that is the true shape of the present.
Anne Boyer
substack
It is significant that Anne Boyer published that letter on substack, a relatively new publishing platform. Writers can write freely without being edited by a publishing company. And a writer can choose to ask for money for subscriptions to their work to help sustain them. The usual subscription is very low, usually less than $10.
Because the truth is something incredible is happening: a whole new creative ecosystem is at play.
substack
As an example of the interconnected web, I learned about substack from a friend working in a social justice organization, and I have been writing on substack nearly daily since that day. Quakers and Mutual Aid. https://kislingj.substack.com/
Because Substack’s power is this: give culture makers financial independence through reader subscriptions. It’s that simple. Writers don’t have to sublimate themselves to attention games or beg for corporate marketing budgets in order to succeed. They just have to do their best work. Their readers will do the rest.
In this day and age, it’s easy to get cynical. It’s easy to listen to the naysayers and believe the narrative that creativity is in crisis, journalism is dying, the internet has made original ideas obsolete, and making a living from doing the creative work you love best is an impossibility. My advice is, don’t get cynical. Because the truth is something incredible is happening: a whole new creative ecosystem is at play. It’s a place where writers are paid by the people who love their work; where creatives help one another to succeed by recommending each other, teaching each other, and connecting through real-life meetups. It’s a place brimming with all the ideas that don’t fit the narrow mold of traditional media; that also values traditional media and wants it to succeed. And the best part about is that you can help build it and show the way to a better future.
The great British take-off. Substack’s second-largest market sees a better future for writing by FARRAH @SUBSTACK, Nov 20, 2023
Spirituality
Spirituality is another form of art in the sense of expressing what words cannot. A discipline common to all art of seeking beyond ourselves and the present moment.
Murals
The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) has had a public art and justice program called AFSC’s 67 Sueños. In another example of the interconnected web, I first came in touch with someone who is now one of my best friends when I saw a video he made of the 67 Sueños mural project he was involved in a number of years ago.
This summer, AFSC’s 67 Sueños unveiled its latest mural in Oakland, California, “Cultura, Sueños, y Sanación.” This mural—like many others created by 67 Sueños—was developed by youth, from start to finish.
Founded in 2010, 67 Sueños is a youth organizing program for undocumented youth and youth from mixed-status families. Through political education, trauma healing, and artivism, 67 Sueños helps young people develop leadership skills and organize campaigns.
At the start of each summer, youth gather to collectively envision the mural they want to create. They discuss issues facing their communities and the topics they care most about. They all have a chance to propose ideas for the mural and vote for their top choice. No adults take part in the decision-making process.
Once they have a theme, youth conduct research. They come up with ideas, scenarios, and images that are then collaged for a mural sketch.
The American Friends Service Committee is also bringing humanitarian aid to Gaza.
AFSC’s programs combine humanitarian service with tireless work on changing attitudes, systems, and laws to create lasting social change. We do not rest with the crucial work of healing the wounds of war; our true mission as a Quaker organization is to root out the causes of violence in our world. Now we are raising money for humanitarian assistance and calling for a cease-fire, humanitarian access, safe passage, and long-term work toward addressing oppressive systems in Gaza, all occupied Palestinian land, and Israel.
Photography
Photography has been an important part of my life. It’s been a way to contribute to justice work in many ways as described below.
It’s sobering to realize my photographs are beginning to illustrate the way the world once was. Increasingly, that beauty is being destroyed.
Photography has increasingly become a way for me to find some peace in these desperate times. My daily routine is to spend about two hours each morning writing. Then walk with my camera for about two hours, after which I spend about two hours editing the photos.
It isn’t possible to know how many people read what I write. It doesn’t matter because writing is another form of therapy and a way to document our times. But there are ways to get an indication of how many people view my photos. That has led me to think about decreasing writing and focusing more on photography. To that end, I’ve been building a new website to share my photos.
If we are to find a new kind of good life amid the catastrophes these myths have spawned, then we need to radically rethink the stories we tell ourselves. We need to dig deep into old stories and reveal their wisdom, as well as lovingly nurture the emergence of new stories into being.
Pontoon Archipelago or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Collapse. By James Allen, originally published by Medium, June 18, 2019
We can hold the ultimate hope—the real hope—that we will emerge from this time of chaos and peril to build a better world...
Whatever happens, our consciousness will have a powerful impact on how we face whatever is coming. Like all great life crises, the polycrisis has the potential to awaken us to what really matters in our lives. Perhaps the polycrisis could even stimulate a great global awakening of what we all need to do together to create a more liveable world. It’s possible.
Stay strong. Keep the faith. It’s the most interesting way to live.
Navigating the Polycrisis-Life in Turbulent Times by Michael Lerner, resilience, May 1, 2023
Music
I’ve always appreciated my brother’s dedication to music.
Musical artists can tell the stories words alone cannot.
You can hear it in the silence
Taylor Swift
You can feel it on the way home
You can see it with the lights out
Public signs
Signs and posters for public messaging for justice issues are another form of art. The Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) has distributed thousands of War is Not the Answer signs.
Some of my Indigenous friends produce amazing pieces of art.
And it was another public vigil (for the Wet’suwet’en) where I met another person who is now one of my best friends. That meeting changed my life because he introduced me to the concepts of Mutual Aid and the Mutual Aid community in Des Moines.
Polycrisis Center 