ALL WRITE NOW, Episode #28
MY FRIENDS INSPIRE ME: Creative Acts of Resistance
I received this photo from one of my Minneapolis friends this morning. It is not lost on me that a group of Minnesotans, who have a reputation for being incredibly self sufficient, are gathered on a frozen lake to share an urgent message of distress. Crushing. And at the same time, it filled my heart with hope. They are demonstrating peaceful solidarity for the rest of us. We should be paying close attention.
As a writer, I wonder every day if I have any words that might make a dent in this broken world. And then I see how my Minnesota friends are transforming fear into form and grief into language by writing poetry, telling stories, and creating art. Their creative acts of resistance give me strength and resolve.
Michelle, my yoga teacher when I lived in Mineapolis, who became my writing student during the pandemic, now lives in Japan. She makes beautiful fiber objects. Most recently she made a broken heart. What Michelle shared with me: “Living abroad in Japan and witnessing the tragic events of my Minnesota communities this past month I find myself with visceral aches in the core of my body. Piecing, joining, and mending with thread and fabric are a medium I use often to regulate and ground myself. This piece took shape after hearing that Alex Pretti’s last words and gestures were three simple words, “Are you okay?” steeped in sincere care for his fellow human being during a time of fearful chaos. My heart felt shredded along with many hearts around the globe that are feeling torn, cut, scraped, stabbed and severely injured at the murder of Alex Pretti, Renee Good and the many injustices that are playing out in my home land.”
Nissa, my massage therapist and fellow yogi in Minneapolis, who also became a writing student, posts Haiku art almost every day on Facebook. She has had a daily haiku practice for the past four years and these days is happy to have this to lean on, to document some of what she sees through photo and haiku. What Nissa said to me: “You know firsthand that Minnesotans are not the most outgoing people in general, and tend to keep their cards close to their chests, working more in pods than really big welcoming groups. Like the winter, some may also say we’re a bit cold. All of that has changed. I think I have met more people in the last three weeks than I have maybe ever before. We are resisting with acts of kindness and beauty. We counter hatred with love.”
Here are two of her recent posts:
Thank you Michelle, Nissa, and all the other creative resisters. Your creativity becomes a tool for survival, solidarity, and meaning-making. We need this now more than ever.
What are your friends doing that inspires you? What are the acts of kindness and beauty that lift you up and lead you to action?
I would love to know.
💔 In heartbreak,
xx
Megan