Creative Activism takes us beyond Re-activism. Instead of polarizing against what we don't want- we identify what we do want and then direct engergy into promoting and creating that. It leverages the incredible power of the arts toward making a difference in our world.

    A lot of change is needed for us to survive through this time of crisis and thrive into the future. An activist is an agent of change. Anyone who puts their ideals and convictions into action for the greater good is an activist. There are so many different kinds of actions and activists, all valid and important. Due to the overwhelming scope of the interconnected problems and their roots in our own psyche, we must be very creative in how we perceive and respond to our current situation. In this time creativity is an imperative. We must think and act outside of the box. We must be creative in how we challenge and protest injustices. We must be creative in imagining, designing, and building a world that we want to live in. Being a creator is the opposite of passive victim or consumer. If we don't like the world as it is, well then we need to step up to the canvas and paint a better picture and inhabit it. We need to remember our power to create and use it! There is a lot of work to be done. But we don't need to get too depressed and heavy about it, we can paint and dance and sing and be joyous in what we do. After all, the means should reflect the intended ends, and we don't just want our future to be sustainable, we want it to be beautiful and thriving with diversity, creativity, and fun!


Some Examples of Creative Activism:
- Dance, poetry, and music with conscious and positive messages
- Puppets at protests and rallies
- Street theater
- Organizing events to raise awareness and or funds for projects and organizations
- Art responding to issues and depicting inspiring visions
- T-shirts, bumper stickers, posters, signs, "subvertising", billboards...
- Promoting Solutions, documentary films, making models, web sites…
- Whatever you dream to do- the only limitation is our imagination...

We are ALL Creative!
Creatively Resist- those values and actions that are harmful to life
Creatively Design- build, innovate, create solutions, & holistic models (in all arenas)
Creatively Vision- new (&old) ways of seeing the world and valuing and relating
We can invest our energy into solutions, alternatives and models of systems worth promoting.

        Great Exercise to get started-

1.) List all the things you are against.
Opposite them list what you want in their place.
Examples-
Clearcutting/ Sustainable harvest & wood alternatives
Corporate Monopoly/ strong local economy
sexism & racism/ respect
2.) Circle the most compelling in the solution column
There is where to direct your energy!

 

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