Art Matters, A Survival Kit for Lovers & Dreamers In Challenging Times
“You don’t want to be normal in an insane society”
-Michael Beckwith, spiritual maverick and teacher
“Art is not a luxury…. It’s not separate from the world we live in. It reminds us of who we are. It gives us language when words fail. It holds memory when history is rewritten and it dares to imagine what is possible when so many would rather not dream at all.“
-Amy Sherald, painter
Right now these are challenging times. I often read the news and like yourself, I can’t believe the things that are happening, the attempts at erasure and displacement. The Civil rights that feel they are being abused daily and the general lack of kindness and dignity being offered to people. In times like these it is SO clear to me that we need the arts. But not in a light or transactional way, in a deep, restorative, and connected way. We need a survival kit, maybe better, a thriving kit.
Back in March I went to attend the art opening of my mother in law, painter Eileen Starr Moderbacher, in Berkeley, CA. While there I got into a discussion with two other artists, a poet and visual artist, about creating a survival kit for the times we’re living in. While we joked there was also a seriousness to this discussion. It made me want to write an official list to share with other like minded people.
To give this topic more clarity, the way we got into the discussion was by one woman mentioning that she had an aunt in New York who always had a specially curated kit for getting around New York. In it she had things like a water bottle, water purifying tablets, bandaids, etc. So I decided to envision what my ideal Thriving Artist Kit would look like. If you have any suggestions, drop me a line. See what you think
Thriving Artist Kit for Challenging Times
Purified water and water bottle
Metro card
Subway map
Gratitude
A good moisturizer
Your inner smile
Intentional breath to reset and recenter at a moment’s notice
1-3 of your favorite albums on your mobile device in case you need an energy boost, refreshed perspective, or to connect to your inner guidance
Hand sanitizer
2 protein dense snacks
Spirulina/green powder
A scarf
A jacket
Toothbrush and toothpaste
A journal for capturing dreams
A good pen
A recording device for song catching
An amazing lipstick (that can also be worn as a multipurpose blush/eyeshadow) that lights you up whenever you put it on
Good shoes with good support for traveling the roads of your creative life
Mini deodorant
A good book
Your smile
Again drop me a line to add to this list.
*As an aside, years ago I really wanted to find a designer to help me create the “ultimate singer’s gig bag”. Perhaps this is the start of that something.