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“You have to see that show – every song is just beautiful.”

“Check out my photos from this sculpture garden in Israel.”

“My kids spent the evening making signs.”

“That book we read tore me apart. So sad.”

“That documentary about OJ Simpson? The one on ESPN? It’s one of the best things I’ve seen on race in America. Beautifully done.”

These are just a few quotes out of my day yesterday. None of the folks quoted are Artists with a capital “A.” Just ordinary folks appreciating art that’s accessible.

Art – whether we take it in, make it, or discuss it – is available to us. It’s a support, a salve for whatever ails us, a boost when we need to celebrate.

So whatever you are feeling today, tomorrow, in the days to come, take time to notice and appreciate art. Turn to art if you need it, as you need it.

Patton Oswalt, a comedian I respect and admire, offered some good advice yesterday that I will share with you:

 

I’ve written about art every day for the last 30 days, as a way to prepare myself for tomorrow.

Here’s what I’ve learned:

It helps. Art helps. That’s what it’s supposed to do and always has done.

There is no time to waste on things that don’t nourish us. If spending time with your family nourishes your soul, do it. If watching Real Housewives makes you happy, do it. But if you turn on the TV to make the world go away and then come away a few hours later feeling empty, go searching for something more nourishing. We need you and you need to be there for others, and there’s no time for emptiness when there’s so much to fight for.

I’m making an inventory:

• What makes me laugh, real cleansing belly laughs?
• What gives me energy when the tank is dry?
• What brings me peace?
• What music can I turn on when I can’t listen to the world anymore?
• What passage can I read that makes me believe in something and inspires me?
• What artists can I seek out, again and again, to affirm that I’m not crazy and I’m not alone?

I have my answers to these questions. Do you?

Once you have answers, make it easy to call on these. Make playlists for every mood. Buy the goofy movies you need, and be okay with fast forwarding straight to your favorite scenes. Print out that poem that makes you cry and keep it close. Bookmark those YouTube videos. Follow your favorite author.

Every single option is a good one, if it’s good for you. Just own it, and let’s make sure we have what we need to keep ourselves going in tough times.

Art, however you define it, can help, in whatever ways you need it. If you go and get it.

 

 

Our political transition has me feeling like we’re playing a huge geopolitical game of whack-a-mole, with so many critical issues facing us that all we can do is take a swipe and move on to the next.

It leaves me feeling very much on my back foot, always reacting.

So I went looking for an antidote in my personal sphere. I came up with stories. Personal storytelling is what fleshes out our lives, our work, and, inevitably, our policy stances. It is also something over which we each have control and can proactively raise our voices to connect with one another.

Personal storytelling has been taking Hartford by storm, thanks to Speak Up. The brainchild of Matthew and Elysha Dicks, Speak Up provides a forum for people of all stripes to tell stories of the most amazing, surprising and moving types. The only requirement? The stories must be true. Which isn’t hard, given that truth really is stranger than fiction.

Matt teaches storytelling, too. He assigns every class his “homework for life:” every night, remember one thing that’s worthy of a story. Just one moment will do. His homework takes five minutes, and many swear this practice makes them cherish each day just a little bit more. It also becomes fodder for incredible stories.

If you don’t live in Hartford, but have access to NPR’s “The Moth Radio Hour,” take a listen. See if you have stories worthy of sharing (hint: we all do). Take the time to find-a-story in your day and switch the paradigm from reactive to proactive. You’d be amazed how much we can all learn from each others’ stories – not to mention how entertaining they can be!

I’ll leave you with two of my favorites from recent months on The Moth Radio Hour:

Voting Day

Guilty

 

Today, Writers Resist events will take place all over the country. Writers of every walk of life will come together to raise their voices, each in their own unique, magical way.

I picture it like a groundswell of extra electricity. Like a tidal wave of artistic energy, taking on a life of its own.

Just imagining it gives me hope and courage, but this time I can actually take part. I look forward to the Hartford event at Real Artways tonight, and even more to hearing about all the others around the country.  (Check out @writeRdemocracy or #readersresist or #writersresist for more.)

Art will carry many of us to action, but not without connection. So today, I will take advantage of the opportunity to connect, refill the tank, and get ready for the next call to act. I hope you will, too.

I feel a change in the air. Between farewell speeches and the first press conference for our President Elect in 167 days, the last 48 hours have been full of milestones. People are lining up event after event to express their views. Confirmation hearings are in the works. The anxiety is palpable.

Honestly, I’ve had a hard time finding the right art to keep me going – it’s been a dark couple of days.

So I started an inventory of my favorite badass female characters to join my support team. I thought of the ladies in Steel Magnolias, who laughed through their tears and kept right on going. Erin Brockovich, where Julia Roberts’ rough and tumble heroine raised hell to right a wrong. Katniss Everdeen, the empathetic warrior of The Hunger Games. Lisbeth Salander of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Even Elle Woods in Legally Blonde.

I know I’m forgetting a million terrific characters.

I want a list of badass women a mile long, so that I can call on each of them when I need more strength than I currently have.

This will likely be a rough time ahead. I don’t know about you, but I need the biggest, badass group surrounding me – real and fictional – to keep me going. Let’s make the most amazing list possible.

Who would be in your list of badass heroines to keep you going right now?