And Caesar fiddled while Rome burned…

But Billy Joel still swears we didn’t start the fire.

Maybe the only thing anyone has gotten right is that it was always burning since the world’s been turning. We are not the first or the last to experience social/political or even environmental upheaval. The question is, what do we need to survive and thrive once the smoke clears?

Today we are going to talk about the pitfalls of leaving off your artistic practice just because we seem to be taking that proverbial hand basket to hell sight seeing tour.

I’m being flip. But let us not lose sight of how the act of creation is an act of hope- hope that we will understand, hope we will find answers, hope we can find common ground, hope that this will all make sense in the fullness of time. (But sooner would be better than later!)

Art helps us hold on to ourselves and to see our predicaments from multiple perspectives. It puts us in a problem saving state of mind which feels a whole lot better than in a hopeless and panic ravaged state of mind.

So how do you create when the world feels like it is collapsing?

If you are looking for artistic community, maybe Playful Substance can offer you space to feel like a person again. We have some workshops, groups and events coming up everything from Memoir programs, our ongoing Writers’ Groups for playwrights and screenwriters, and soon we’ll be releasing details about our next special reading event in early March! Check out our new and growing website at playfulsubstance.com find out if any of our programming is right for you.

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