An excerpt from Eclosion: An Artist’s Path to Power and Peace.
Often, those of us who care deeply about justice shut people down for not being as far along on the spectrum of unlearning and relearning. We forget that it is a journey for all of us— that not so long ago, we may have been in the very place we’re criticizing now. As author and activist Ijeoma Oluo so beautifully articulates: “We aren’t very good at getting people from A to Z, but we are really good at discarding people for being at G instead of at X. But how do we get someone who is going to their first protest to not only come to more, but to use that experience as the beginning of a journey to a deeper understanding of the issue they are protesting and how they can be a part of systemic change? Right now, while it’s an emergency (because it will always be an emergency), how are we planting seeds of empowerment and revolution in every person who is just now beginning to see that maybe these systems don’t have their best interests at heart?”
Often, I still don’t know what to say or how to act. I have so much to learn and unlearn, and I make mistakes. But I keep trying. I keep showing up in my personal and professional life. I keep expanding my knowledge and pushing myself to do or say things that feel right, even when I am scared and uncomfortable. Even if it means I upset some people, I must stay true to myself. I must stand up for what I believe in, even as my own beliefs shift and expand. At the same time, I do my best to offer grace for where others are on this journey, welcoming them along with love and kindness.
This is a piece of what it means to be an artist in this world. To show up. To be seen. To take risks. These small actions are a way of creating, and of creating change.
The surprising thing is how good I feel about myself when I take such a stand, or offer such grace, and how it keeps resulting in deeper connections—with myself and with others—and stronger community.