The world spins on an axis our body clocks have adjusted, living days with large and small events, mundane and magnificent, no one day is the same. And for thousands of years, we live out the hours, minutes and seconds riding on hope, luck, skill and bravery. No one said it would be easy, and it isn't and never will be.
During my 59 years on planet, large and small events have forever changed me and the way I look and operate in the world. We live, we adapt, we survive. But now, with the age of Trumpism, the pandemic, voter suppression, women oppression, climate change denial, mass shootings, insurrection, illegal wars, book bans, assassinations, BLM finally being addressed, lack of responsible gun laws, LGBTQ rights at risk, etc., etc., I don't recognize it anymore. Do you? It's like we took all the most base fears, poured a healthy dose of misogyny, racism, religious hegemony and self loathing and we have today's societal destruction and illness. Mental health or the lack thereof is at the root of the deep "unwellness." Arrogance and power over "other" is the plan, and once they are done breaking up the sisterhood, they will have all they need to get the rest of their mission done.
For me personally, I continue to write, fight and walk an emotional tightrope. I have good days, bad days, good hours, lousy hours, hopeful moments, and despondent lows. And I know I'm not alone in this battle. So where can we put it, along with joining marches, donating to causes and volunteering to help? I propose we fight with art. Let's protest, object and create with the tools we know how to finesse, wield our wands of beautiful persuasion or angry dissent, it's all good and it's all needed. I want to create a forum that will allow you to speak freely and leave it. I want to invite you to share your poems, songs, paintings, animation, movies, etc. Here and everywhere. And I want it to be someplace you can turn when you are in need of some energy to keep going.
Particularly, for now, this forum is focusing on the current anti woman movement that has been cracked open by the SCOTUS. By removing the Federal protections, they have unleashed all the small minded State committees and town boards to prohibit women from exercising their reproductive rights and they are more than happy to strip them of every other avenue of autonomy as soon as they can. It's cruel and meant to be cruel. It's oppressive and meant to be oppressive. They want your womb.....they want your bodily freedom, full stop.
So come here. Protest here. Cry here. Make something beautiful. Make something ugly. Tell your story. Share your pain. Let it build into a beautiful body of work, defiant and unrelenting. Find community here. Make a friend. Make a pact. Make a difference....one word, one song, one stroke of genius at a time.
Lauren