mary-masked

Do Not Surrender Joy

Published: November 17th 2016, 6:22:43 pm

It's a hard time to be creative right now. I've been trying to fight off dispair by doing at least on political thing per day, and posting about how people can help. But I still fell the fuck apart today. And it's been hard to not feel stupid and selfindulgent working on art.

But a friend of mine posted that they felt horrible and petty working on their art while the country seemed to be falling down around our ears. I worte them this pep talk, and I hope it helps you all as well. I'm hoping it'll help me.

"I've  been feeling the same way, like my stupid naked lady shows have been  pretty pointless. But they have given me a platform, relatively small  though it may be. And I can use that platform to say that this is fucked  up and should be fought against. And it  gives me a chance to brighten people's day in a very dark time. And, in  really good moments, I can do both at the same time. It's not enough  but it's a start. 

I keep thinking about Judy Dench's  monologue in Mrs Henderson Presents, where she says (talking about  soldiers) "If we are going to ask them to surrender their lives, they  should not be asked to surrender joy." 

And I think that's true for all  of us. We should fight Trump and his attendant evils like wildcats, but  we should also allow ourselves, and others,  joy. "

I'm still figuring out how to create joy for myself and others, but I promise I'm working on it.