How To Be Creative When The World Is Melting Down

This summer has been a weird time. Which is odd because we just got over a weird time. But during the other Weird Time we still had the hopeful fantasy of life when things (music chimes) “opened up.” I remember when my local Peet’s Coffee put tables and chairs back inside and I sat and cried into my iced Americano.

But a caffeine high will only take you so far. The world opened up to chronic disaster. Each day a new Tik Tok rabbit hole beckons me to dive into. From the migrants making the journey through the Darien Gap to the tragic and shockingly sudden fire in Lahaina. Strikes, layoffs, jaw-dropping inflation and a disturbing amount of spiders entering my apartment. (I am pretty sure whales and spiders are gunning to take over the world.) Forget about the latest in gun violence, virus mutation, or the melting of the planet, I can’t even keep up with the whale attacks. I give money to different organizations to ease guilt and terror. My shoulder hurts from all the armchair activism. To my aunt who told me once that I am doing nothing “to change the world.” You are correct.

I look at people who do service. Who actually help the world. Like teachers, nurses and bus drivers and, well, THANK YOU. Turns out that being an “artist” is pretty lame. We need fair wages, universal health care, gun control, and affordable housing. Not blogs or commentary on “And Just Like That.”

Which all begs the question. Does “art” even matter? The answer is no, it does not. At least in Umerika. By art I mean anything creative: comedy, writing, a song, a stick figure comic, or a child’s scrawl. I mean, it’s amazing to realize that in other countries government actually funds art.

For whatever misguided ideas I thought that being a writer or playwright amounted to something. And it does a little. But the issues right now are much bigger. So why…why…why do it? Why should I create when the world is falling apart?

Because it feels good. And it doesn’t give you a hangover. Because it happens to keep from going nuts. Just because.

So then how do you free emotional energy into something productive when you just want to feel sad and scroll? Here are a few ideas:

1. Just scroll. Sometimes you have to just scroll with it. But put a timer on it.

2. Clean. Whenever I am stuck in life I just pull out the broom and fill a bucket with water. I like to scrub the tub or corners of the base boards like my life depends on it. I can get a zone and think about things. My place is never dirty enough to warrant a cleaning lady.

3. Daydream about things…terrible and goodl THEN…put those terrible things into a character you create and let that character talk. I think I write plays to just have people say the things that I imagine someone, anyone saying or doing. Art is made from negative fantasy. Just write a decent outcome. Doesn’t have to be happy, just not a Shakesperian tragedy.

4. Walk. If your neighborhood is too sketchy maybe drive somewhere with people. Ideally, take a pretty walk, but even an ugly one will do the job. I personally like to be able to go in a straight line. Walking is when I get healthy ideas. I have never been on a long walk and at the end of it thought, “I should call my ex.” Never.

5. Meditate. Ok, this one is frankly boring and annoying. If one more person tells me to try meditating I am going to ram my Deepak Chopra book into my paper shredder. Yes I know about Calm. When did meditation become a personality? Because it definitely is one now. And that personality belongs to a man. Apparently meditation makes you superior. Anyway, despite annoying people suggesting that you to meditate, it can actually calm the nervous system down. Calm, the app though, has too many low caliber monotone voices that stress me out. I don’t want to hear talking when I meditate.

6. Journal. Ok, so this is a suggestions. Sometimes when I tell people that I have filled a closet full of jouranls with the boring minutia of my life they get defensive like they have to do the same. For many people journaling sounds like more homework, and it kind of is. But for me it’s a brain dump and I also like to write what I bought at Trader Joe’s or how much is in my bank account and all kinds of details that would kill someone with boredom.

7. Feel sad. Feel bad that things feel bad. But like with scrolling, put a timer on it. Set it for a couple of hours. And then stop feeling sad.

8. Go to the beach. Yes, the world is very sad, but the beach is still there. Also waves. There is sand that gets all over you. Even when you take a shower. It never leaves you. The beach wants to come home with you so bad. Don’t live near a beach? Go to a park, a garden or even a Target. I know it’s a chain store made with products from China probably made by minors, but it’s also like a free amusement park that you can look at. There are aisles for pens. A lot of underwear that will look like a dish rag in two washes. Also the sales rack is thrift store cheap. Marvel at the abundance of life. But set a spending limit. Or buy groceries you need.

9. Look at animal videos on Instagram or Tik Tok. You say social media has made the world a bad place? How is a video of a dog adopting a baby kitten a bad thing? How do you not see the magic in a friendship between a turtle and a cat, or a deer and a dog, or a raccoon and a baby lamb. Mama polar bear cuddling a baby polar bear. Animal videos redeem all social media. Take all my data and read my mind Zuckerberg, I don’t care. I just want to see the baby goat and baby raccoon have a moment!

10. Reach out to friends. Read the social media posts by friends who are having a difficult time. A loved one died, they are sick, or they can’t deal with life. These are cries for help. Message that friend. Tell your friend to call you. I saw a post from someone I am acquainted with through the socials and he posted that his sister recently passed. I told him to call me if he needed to reach out and…he did! And he talked about how hard it is to go through a loved one’s things, deal with paper work, and creepy horrible funeral people who want you to level up the casket or floral arrangement. This was horrible for me to go through when my mom died. It felt like it would never end. Death of one person takes not only hearts but a thousand details of business and items that no one grieving wants to go through. People are dying every day so someone you know is going through this. Call that person and let them vent. This will change the world.

11. Go to a thrift store. Feel the magic of thrifting. The universe speaks to you from the treasures you find. Only $8 for a DVF wrap dress. What is happening? Is God speaking to me? Am I being told that things will be OK? That I can show up with my $8 clothes and guacamole and find love and acceptance? I have and I do. It’s wonderful.

12. Go to therapy? This is a question mark because I have left my last therapist for some reasons, one being that every time I brought up an issue she would sigh in exasperation and kind of roll her eyes a little.

Reason #3: A combination of reasons 1 & 2.

13. Make some “art.” Like this blog.

I already feel better.