Artists envision possibility for social change–and create understanding and hope to make it possible.

During this time, I’m sharing some of my most beloved novels by Black authors.

Day 3: The Famished Road by Ben Okri (@benokri)

When I was getting my MFA in fiction almost 20 years ago, The Famished Road inspired me to with a whole new vision of what was possible for my fiction. I loved its combination of politics and magical realism–and the view into life in Nigeria.

#blackvoices #blackfiction #blacklivesmatter

When I was getting my MFA in fiction almost 20 years ago, The Famished Road inspired me to with a whole new vision of what was possible for my fiction. I loved its combination of politics and magical realism–and the view into life in Nigeria.

#blackvoices #blackfiction #blacklivesmatter

With so much going on in the world, maybe you wonder if your creative work is frivolous–if it’s out of touch, if it’s speaking to what people care about, if people will be open to it.

The truth is, people are having all kinds of experiences. Some people have hours on their hands and will be immensely grateful for art to uplift or entertain them. Some people are working long hours and need relief from their current world.

People are going through so many different emotions, and they all need different things. Some need a light, entertaining escape. Some people need a moving love story that validates human connection. Some people need to identify with a wily, scrappy heroine who uses her wits to survive in tough times.

So if you’re asking, “Does my art matter now?”, it doesn’t mean your art is now irrelevant to other people. (This is true whether it has a connection to current events or not).

What your question actually means is your own experience has changed, so your relationship to your art no longer feels exactly right.

This isn’t a signal to dump your current project–it just means you need to bring more of who you are and what you feel NOW into your art.

So instead of asking “Does my art matter now?”, consider asking, “What am I experiencing?” and “How will I bring that into my art?”

This will let you create some of your deepest, truest, and best work.

P.S. Stay tuned for more posts, trainings, and opportunities to go deeper with your creative work–especially in this pandemic time.

If you’re questioning the value of your art during a pandemic or having trouble creating, remember this:

The world needs what your writing and art have to offer right now.

As artists, we are the visionaries for the culture. When we writers and artists are working at our highest level, we are more than just storytellers or craftspeople or entertainers or celebrities. 

We are bringing forward a vision for society.

Today, it’s often ART that creates powerful emotional experiences that connect, define, and inspire us.

Black Panther created an alternate world where Black Africans have a power far beyond any majority-white nation.

Kate McKinnon brought people to tears with her Saturday Night Live rendition of “Hillary Clinton” singing Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” just after Trump won the election.

People go to pandemic films and novels like Contagion and Station Eleven to make sense of their new reality.

Art and writing are a source of meaning, connection, and inspiration for people. 

With everything going on in the world, now more than ever, we need a full, empathetic understanding of the human experience–delivered with vision and love.