In times of rising authoritarianism, chaos and despair, this is your reminder to keep speaking, keep creating, keep building
"Dictators and tyrants routinely begin their reigns and sustain their power with the deliberate and calculated destruction of art: the censorship and book-burning of unpoliced prose, the harassment and detention of painters, journalists, poets, playwrights, novelists, essayists," wrote Toni Morrison in 2015.
Her words have an eerie resonance now.
We are living through a profound democratic crisis in the United States, with leaders with greater will and power to exploit constitutional and legal ambiguities for authoritarian ends than at any time in the past two centuries.
And it's not just here.
Around the world, we're witnessing the systematic erosion of institutions meant to protect civil liberties and creative expression. The forces of climate change continue their relentless assault around the world.
While those committed to the relentless pursuit of wealth continue to profit from the chaos, and those committed to maintaining power by any means necessary seem to be succeeding.
I’ll admit sometimes, when looking out into the world these days, I get overwhelmed. In those moments, I find my breath. I breath, and I give myself grace.
And, I try to remember two things.
This is About More Than This Moment
First, no matter the outcome of current political situations or the fight against rising authoritarianism, the forces and individuals committed to keeping the status quo will not suddenly disappear:
Policies and institutions that have been built on systemic racism will not suddenly become equitable.
Millionaires and billionaires won't abruptly realize (or care) that their wealth has been gained through an unjust and cruel embrace of a colonial capitalist system that rewards the rich and punishes the poor and start dismantling it.
The vast numbers of individuals who have embraced blind individualism at the expense of community will not suddenly realize we are all interconnected.
Women privileged by race or class won't instantly become aware of their own role in upholding a patriarchal system.
This assessment may seem to make things seem worse. But sinking into this truth can help you pan out from this one painful moment in history and see your work in a larger context.
Now Is the Time to Create
And this brings me to the second reminder. No matter what happens in the coming months or years, now is not the time to collapse. Or to slide into self-pity. Or, please no, to give up.
Now is the time to create.
Morrison's words were a call to action. In that same 2015 piece (speaking about another fraught time period in 2004), she reminded us that in times of awful horrible dread, artists must not choose to remain silent. These times are, as the piece is titled, "No Place for Self-Pity, No Room for Fear."
And although here Toni Morrison speaks specifically about art and artists, this message is for you too. If you are a woman who wants to use your voice in the world, who wants a better world, you are undertaking a bravely creative act by stepping into your power to bring the healing and transformation we so desperately need. This may be through your writing, your art, or your authentic business. Or it could be through claiming your voice and agency in your own life.
Whatever it is, you are a creative force.
We need to recognize the world's pain for what it is, and, as Toni Morrison says as she concludes the article, "refuse to succumb to its malevolence."
Turn away from despair and bring your courage to your work.
Be the artist in your work and life, and keep creating the world you want to live in.
What will you keep creating this week?