Why we need artists during COVID-19
And how they need us
Because of COVID-19, our world is full of 1. Terrifying headlines and 2. Boredom. We’re constantly anxious because we don’t know who is sick or when this is going to be over. And we’re all getting cabin fever from not being able to do simple things like go out to eat or see a movie.
So creatives, we need you. Other than God, a vaccine, and the government stepping in and giving people $2,000/month, what we need are poets, artists, writers, and musicians.
We see it already. There are musicians who have been performing via Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube. We have amazing writers putting our thoughts into words to be collectively share. And we need more.
Art is beautiful and necessary. It is a human need — just like toilet paper and milk.
Art helps us to remember the good.
Even though the world may seem dark and bleak, good art can transport us to light and joy. It brings a smile to our faces, a moment of contemplation, and a sigh of relief.
Art helps us to process the now.
Sometimes we don’t know that we’re feeling bad until someone else asks, “Are you mad?” There are times when we feel stressed but we don’t know it until we come home and snap at our kids. Art helps us to express the anxiety or the claustrophobia.
Art also helps us to put things into perspective. How much of our world has changed?
Art gives us that moment of connection.
When we see, read, or hear good art, it gives us the “me too!” moment. We feel less alone. We feel understood. We feel like a part of a community.
And this is crucial, specially in this time of physical and social distancing. We need things that help us to feel less isolated. And that can be done through sharing art together.
Art helps us laugh. Art helps us cry.
This is a summation of the above points, I suppose. But art helps us to feel human. It helps us to feel alive. And that is why we need it.
And for those of us who are blessed by art. We need to support our artists. If your friend makes a thoughtful post, a beautiful art piece, or plays a song, will you share it with others? Follow their accounts on Instagram? Will you Venmo them a few dollars as a way to appreciate them? Become a patron of their art?
Artist friends, we need you. Help us to remember the good and mourn the things we have lost. Help us to connect to one another. Help us to process, laugh, and cry. The world desperately needs you.
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I will try to post more frequently because people seem to be extra bored these days!
Also, here is a convenient list of the Instagram accounts I shared. If you have links to other amazing artists I should share, reply/comment, and I’ll add them to the end of my next newsletter!