I wrote something for this month’s “EdTalks” but now, what I wrote just seems unimportant. There will come a time, hopefully soon, when “culture change” will be more deserving of our attention.
There’s an old joke I tell about myself. I have such a hard time making decisions, that when someone asks me what my favorite color is, I say “plaid.”
These days that indecisiveness is compounded by being thrust into a situation that has no precedent, for which there is no handbook, and has no end that anyone can see. The future is always a mystery and not knowing is always part of the equation in trying to figure out your life moves. But this is off the chart unknown.
I don’t know where to put my mental energies. There’s a part of me that just wants to escape to Turner Classic Movies™. But then that starts to feel indulgent, and I have to feel like I’m doing something to be part of the solution. I open up my email and I’m bombarded with messages from companies telling me how much they’re doing for their customers, and agencies who offering innovative alternatives to the service they usually provide.
I see tips on how to work, exercise, sleep, not be depressed, make art, consume art, and connect with other people. I’m sure that these are offered with the best intentions. But they come followed by messages about our government leaders unable to come together for the good of the people, doctors predicting medical triage decisions resulting in the death of elders, and the implosion of the stock market.
How does one make art at a time like this? Does it have to be about the virus and its effects?
There are artists out there sharing their work, their art, and their thoughts about what their art means to them and what it could mean for us. The writer, Augusten Burroughs, posted a thoughtful video to his Facebook page about the power of writing and how any of us can harness it.
For me, it feels a little crazy to write about a life that seems out of reach right now. But I have to feel that at some point we’ll get that life back again. For me, maybe it’s too soon to write about the effects the virus is having, partly because we don’t know what all the effects are yet. I also feel like there will be some great stories that will emerge from all of this-uplifting and funny; sad and even tragic. We’ll all have stories, and they’ll all need to be told.
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There are a lot of folks out there who are doing their best to keep people connected through the arts. You can find many of them on our website. In the meantime, be careful out there (cue the theme song from “Hill St. Blues”).
