Fear

I was a bookish, literarily-devout writing major. The type who read prose poems and flash fiction anthologies in the corner at parties, that sort of thing. And though I wouldn’t have admitted it then, one of the reasons I didn’t own a smartphone was because I was afraid of it.

How about acting out the fantasies that you only dreamed of during “The Before Time” (which is how I think we will soon be referring to everything that happened prior to January 20, 2017)?

There’s a saying you’ll hear all over the arts world that goes, “If you like anything else, do that instead.” It can mean whatever you want it to. For me, it meant, “If you do something else, it’s because you failed at acting.”

If I look tired, I probably am, and therefore I am either: A) grumpy or, B) not wearing eyeliner, and well, screw you either way. If I am angry or anxious, maybe I have my reasons, and a chill pill isn’t what I need.

I’ll be honest, the simple act of listing what we’ve accomplished makes me feel pretty great and makes me excited to contemplate what we’ll achieve in the coming year and years beyond that. Because, to continue being honest, I feel a palpable feeling of overwhelm.

Ocotillo medicine is used to move stagnation. Thus “thorn-bed” has a double meaning suggesting pain, while acting as a remedy for ending the phenomena of being stuck, blocked, or otherwise suffering.

On this inauguration day, illustrator Michael Ellis offers a custom set of emoticons to help get you through the fresh hell that will be the Trump era.

I want to create art which reflects my anger and to protest Trump, but then I will not be making the positive art that I originally planned for this year. I don’t want this fascist to be the reason I do anything, but I also don’t want to ignore what is happening around me. Which direction I should take?

You no longer have to be with this person who has clearly been struggling with who they are. I would recommend that you explore, discover and decide who YOU are. You are not just a mom, a wife or an ex-wife.

Of course I want us all to “do the work” and I want us to avoid the ahistorical bullshit that is part and parcel of Making America Great Again. But I also want those who can be saved through art alone to be saved.

I cannot remain silent when someone says “We need to get rid of the damn Muslims!” I will not be silent if I hear a family member bash immigrants, particularly when the basher themselves is a grandchild of immigrants.

This scary world is suddenly a lot scarier now, I know. But there are punks and hippies and counter-culture DIY types all over the place. Find the progressive like-minded people in your community and become friends with them. Strengthen those bonds.

There is also the act of allowing her to be angry at you, and accepting it without taking it personally because you are doing it with compassion. This will not be fun or easy, but this is not about fun and easy, this is about helping someone in need.

I once had a teacher tell me that I had a strong third eye, that I needed to manifest it more, make it sing, make it move. I didn’t understand what she meant but it was something that stuck with me. It propelled me. It did make me sing. It did make me move.

Even when I am successful at my chosen work—music—is there anything about it that does good work for society? Does it change anyone’s perspective for the better?

You and I can continue to snooze our loud and buzzing iPhones, skip a shower and eat half of a granola bar for breakfast—but it’s time to wake up and stop snoozing our feelings, our art and our common future.