MANW Check-In, Making Art as an Act of Protest, and Two Prompts

Cthulhu Scribe by Drew Pocza

Welcome! Today’s the first weekly check-in for my Make Art Not War 2017 Challenge. Many of my fellow challengers are using the hashtags on Twitter and Facebook (#makeartnotwar2017 #manw2017) and posting works in progress or art they’ve made. As the visibility for this challenge continues to grow, I want to remind you that you can join at any time. There’s no sign up, and the rules are designed to help you stick with it and keep making art.

How are you doing? I don’t know about you, but my creativity is exploding. I feel the enthusiasm and creative energy you all have, and I’m feeding off of it to experiment and channel it into every aspect of my life to focus on doing, doing, doing. I’ve made three pies so far (Ahem. I LOVE pie!), I’ve designed, torn apart, and am restitching a MANW bracelet, I’m neck deep in character creation, and I feel little pops of “Oooo… I could do…” all over the damn place. In other words, I am embracing this month’s theme–PLAY–fully and in every sense of the word.

The last tatters of whatever filter I had are burning away, and what I’m left with is (my Italian/musical friends will understand this) a feeling of “il più forte”. I am loud, and I am getting louder. It is reflected in my prose, it’s mirrored in this blog, and it’s definitely impacting the way I feel. The passion that burns within me wants to come out, and that’s definitely resonating.

I’d love to hear from you, so feel free to post your thoughts in the comments below.

Tracking and Adjusting for Missed Days

To keep track of my challenge efforts, right now I’m using a super simple system to ensure I’m sticking (Hah! Hah!) with this. I picked up some gold star stickers, and for every day I fulfill the challenge I add one to that date on my calendar. The cost is less than $5 for stickers like these, and you can find them at Michael’s, Amazon.com, Staples, Oriental Trading Company, etc. If you can’t pick up stickers (or don’t want to use them), drawing stars or smiley faces in a bright (e.g. non-black) color works just as well. The result? You’ll keep adding stars, hearts, etc. and have a visual, clear picture of the days you’ve made art so far. Awesome, right? So far, so good for me!

Please remember: what you get out of this challenge will be what you put into it. There is NO judgement happening on my end, because for many of you it’s difficult to make art every day. The challenge is here to help you be your best! If you miss a day, try writing down the reason why you missed it. To get back up to speed, take your allotted time and split it in half. Then, figure out what you are giving up: maybe it’s a half an hour of TV or gaming, maybe it’s chatting on Twitter, maybe it’s reading the news. It’s amazing where that time goes, and figuring that out will help you long-term.

Making Art as an Act of Protest

Following the election, I’ve seen a lot of discussions about what it means to make art when the pendulum swings toward extremism or fascist regimes. Regardless of your thoughts on the subject of our current political climate, the idea that there is “one way” to be is incredibly dangerous for many, many reasons. If “man” and “woman” wind up putting a single image in people’s heads, it sets an impossible standard for hundreds of millions of people who don’t live up to that. When impossible standards fall down, that’s when people get hurt because bullies become emboldened. Victims say: “You’re hurting me. I’m me, I can’t be that perfect image. Please don’t do (or say) that again.” A bully says: “I don’t believe you. It’s your fault if you don’t measure up. You’re imagining the pain I caused. You’re weak. You’re making it up for attention. Trust me, I know what’s best for you.” And so on, and so forth. It becomes “us vs. them” because the “us” doesn’t accept that the “them” will step into line and follow their lead no matter what. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as “us”, because there’s no such thing as the ideal or perfect human being.

Because the truth of who we are as individuals is far more complex than an idyllic image, I feel that making art is one way to attest to our true selves and our identities. Your art, whether you intend it to be or not, is a statement. Being present in who you are and sharing your art with the world–even in the face of rejection and hatred or through the vehicle of commercialism–that is an act of defiance. That is you saying: “Here I am. This is the art I made. I hope it makes you laugh, cry, dream, hope, wonder, think differently about me, recognize my humanity, empathize, etc.” How far you draw out that innermost part of yourself in your art, either consciously or unconsciously, is always up to you. Regardless, at the bare minimum, anything you make–from knitted socks to a painting of the statue of liberty crying–shows that you were here.

Lastly, I want to mention that fighting for the right to exist is not a privilege and it’s not exciting to me. It’s necessary. This struggle is not new, and unfortunately artists don’t have the power to stop wars on the battlefield. We do, however, have the ability to affect hearts and minds of survivors and victims, and that is what we’re often called to do in times of spiritual, moral, and physical conflict. Now that a fresh round of conversations about worker’s rights, health care rights, refugee rights, LGBTQA+ rights, and women’s rights are in the public eye again along with talks about ethnocentrism and patriotism, it suddenly feels as if the apathetic masses (a.k.a. the proverbial zombies) are waking up to fight. The reality, however, is that some people have been fighting all along, and this is especially true for people who hail from traditionally marginalized or underrepresented groups.

Creative Prompts: Personify Your Rage & Envision a Futuristic Habitat

What we’re experiencing as artists is a hot mess of feelings stemming from a cultural zeitgeist that many of us cannot ignore. This spirit of the times will influence our art to varying degrees; it could result in characters yelling, a sub-plot about oppression, a bleak landscape or photograph, etc. It could, if we’re not careful, also result in inaction and an unwillingness to make art. Why bother? What power does an artist have? How can we, the small and the unknown, make a difference? For all these reasons and more, this is why I mentioned how important it is to protect the work–especially if you cannot allow anger and fear to seep its way in. By protecting the work, you wind up doing something else: you protect your heart, too.

In light of this, I have two creative prompts for you today that tackle both ends of the emotional spectrum. The first helps those of you who are angry to embrace that feeling, to get it out of your system, and to attest and affirm your emotions.

Creative Prompt: Personify Your Anger

Anger is often viewed as a negative feeling, especially if we allow it to go too far (e.g. Pyrrhic victory), but it is also transformative. Often, anger and rage are attributed to the masculine and the strong; if you’re not the Hulk, for example, you cannot be angry. Anger, however, is a human emotion that every last one of us has the capacity to feel. Our personification of this emotion, is what informs our comfort level with it. It is the fire elemental that dances on a field of flowers turning beauty into ash; it is the phoenix that destroys itself in an endless cycle of destruction and renewal. When we douse the flames, we feel empty, hollow, and full of guilt. And yet, our anger pushed something out of the way so a seed can sprout in its place. That seed, fragile and precious and full of life, could not exist if it weren’t for our anger.

For this prompt, personify your rage and turn it into a character. You could:

  • Draw fan art of Phoenix, Ghost Rider, the Human Torch. Don’t be afraid to gender-bend or play with costumes!
  • Sketch a political cartoon
  • Cross-stitch a phoenix
  • Knit or crochet a dragon
  • Write-up a new character
  • Paint yourself in the heart of a volcano
  • Write a heavy metal/industrial song

What does your rage look like? For me, that personification turned into a modern version of the Greek Furies. I developed internet furies who survive off of ‘net rage for Gods, Memes, and Monsters to channel my feelings into monsters. Yours could be completely different. It could be a terrifying beast, a mutant, or a force of nature. By personifying it, you’ll identify what your anger looks like and have a visual of this personal aspect of yourself.

For those of you who aren’t feeling angry right now, my second creative prompt is to create art that taps into your hope and forces you to imagine a better future.

Creative Prompt: Envision an Ideal Habitat

Post-apocalyptic and dystopian futures are all too common when the cultural zeitgeist carries doom and gloom, and that can influence the stories we tell. I suspect that the creation and demand for horror, dark science fiction, post-apoc, etc. will begin to swell again, because dark futures are a means of exploring our deepest fears to show us how we can survive. For others, especially myself, the exact opposite is true: we need messages of hope to understand that a brighter, better future is possible.

This prompt explores your vision, and draws upon your hope. Even if you have just a tiny bit of it, as long as you have the desire to tap into that positive emotion, this prompt could be a lot of fun for you.

To envision a futuristic habitat, think about what an ideal home might look like in five hundred years. Then, use your talent to bring that vision forth. Here’s some suggestions! You might:

  • Design a Rube-Goldberg house
  • Use LegosTM to build a futuristic space habitat
  • Be inspired by NASA’s work and create a deep space habitat
  • Pick your favorite flower or vegetable and use that as the inspiration for a totally green, non-synthetic home.
  • Choose your favorite animal. Instead of a habitat for humans, what would a futuristic home look like for them?
  • Challenge yourself by writing a few restrictions down before you start. For example, you might note that your habitat has to be completely self-sustaining, made only of synthetic, recycled, or organic materials, or has a low manufacturing cost.

Whether you use whimsy or utility, designing a futuristic habitat forces you to reach outside of yourself and place your faith in a better tomorrow. It still utilizes your emotions, but in a different way to problem solve and create a pie-in-the-sky scenario.

That’s it for today, dear readers. Don’t forget to check in if you’re taking this challenge!

    Mood: Out of f*cks
    Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: Four cups of coffee.
    Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: Pissed I haven’t gotten to the gym.
    In My Ears: “Let It Go” by Idina Menzel for Frozen
    Game Last Played: Dragon Age: Inquisition
    Book Last Read: Research materials for work.
    Movie/TV Show Last Viewed: Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
    Latest Artistic Project: Make Art Not War 2017 Challenge and Rules
    Latest Releases: Read my end-of-the-year list of releases for an overview of what I’ve put out for 2016. Check out Upside Down: Inverted Tropes in Storytelling and, if you like it, consider leaving a review.
    Current State of Projects: Read my latest project update.



January 4, 2017
Permalink ∞

Creative Prompt: Make Your Own Survival Guide!

Marvel Thor

I discovered artist Colin Matthes after reading an article about his work. He’s a community-based artist whose survivalist-based pieces have been featured in the Wisconsin Triennial at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. Colin is obsessed with survivalism, and his illustrations answer a question about how to survive in extreme conditions like urban warfare. He also runs a workshop that invites participants to channel their essential knowledge, to illustrate what they know in a survival guide.

I love Matthes’ awesome idea! As a creative prompt, creating a survival guide is easy enough to apply across most mediums. Take the expert knowledge you have learned and record that information for posterity’s sake! You might know how to operate an espresso machine (which is clearly needed in times of duress), or you might know how to knit a hat when you don’t have any needles, or survive if you’re stranded in the cold, rain, or hot conditions.

Your knowledge could be relayed by:

  • Drawing a comic
  • Embroidering panels
  • Creating a storyboard
  • Writing a catchy tune
  • Filming a how-to commercial

For writers, this prompt can also help you learn word conservation(1) to help tidy up your prose. To do that, pick an area of expertise you have and write down each step. Then, put that first draft away for a couple of days. When you revisit it, read it out loud. Did you get everything? Then, pare down any unnecessary or overly complicated words and phrases. Set it aside, then revise again.

This exercise is, as Colin intended, also great for groups and community organizations, because there’s a lot of value in critiquing and getting feedback in this environment. If you are thinking of a group activity, I encourage you to reach out to Colin Matthes, the artist who inspired this creative prompt.

(1) Apparently, this is a phrase I’ve concocted per Google, so let me define it. Word conservation is a technique used to write prose using as few words as possible while retaining the meaning. Often, but not always, this means the vocabulary is at the high school reading level, too.

    Mood: Energetic
    Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: Yeah, definitely not managed.
    Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: I felt a great disturbance in my wobbily bits.
    In My Ears: A snoring cat.
    Game Last Played: Dragon Age: Inquisition
    Book Last Read: Research materials for work.
    Movie/TV Show Last Viewed: Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
    Latest Artistic Project: Make Art Not War 2017 Challenge and Rules
    Latest Releases: Read my end-of-the-year list of releases for an overview of what I’ve put out for 2016. Check out Upside Down: Inverted Tropes in Storytelling and, if you like it, consider leaving a review.
    Current State of Projects: Read my latest project update.



January 2, 2017
Permalink ∞

Thanks, 2016. In 2017, We’ll Battle for our American Identity

Wonder Woman Avatar

It’s hard to imagine what December 2017 will be like, but thanks to 2016 we have a fight on our hands. Who we are, as a country, is no longer certain and for the first time in years our American identity is questionable. Who are we? What does it mean to be American? Is there only one type of American, and if we don’t fit that description are we no longer a part of this country? Despite this nation’s many ills, we have been innovative, brave, hard-working, creative, curious, and industrious–but much of this could be forgotten in 2017. It’s hard to understand why this is; as a nation we’re young and scrappy with compared to the rest of the world and haven’t had much time to suffer from an identity crisis. We’ve been regarded as the leader of the free world and are known for significant achievements like the invention of electricity, the internet, the foundation of the United Nations, and our NASA space program, but we’ve also got an awful history we don’t talk about very much and we struggle to have hard conversations about our past with those still suffering its effects.

America’s turbulent history is, like many countries, three-dimensional. We have hope, we have sorrow, we have joy, and we have pain borne from slavery, indentured servitude, bloody battles, and genocide. And yet, we forget all of our nation’s ills when we witness the Statue of Liberty and her burning torch, a shining beacon of hope for so many immigrants and natural-born citizens. “In America,” Liberty sings, “You can be anything. You can do anything. You are welcome here.” Confident and brash, we have always believed America is “the” land of opportunity, a realm of dreams where, if you work hard enough, you’d get what you deserved.

Of course, this isn’t true for everyone. Once reality sets in, our fantasies evaporate in a puff of smoke. When we fail or lose or don’t measure up to society’s many expectations, we’re left wondering if we did something wrong. The answer is often: we did the best we could with what we had. Unfortunately, that doesn’t stop us from questioning what we could have done; on a cellular level, we believe in the power of American individualism that’s been imprinted on us since birth. You can do anything you want, without help, because that’s how you become successful. It’s easy, if you just try hard enough.

Our belief in the American dream extends to how we view the wealthy and the powerful. Anyone who’s deemed a success, by whatever measuring stick we use, has obviously deserved that money, fame, beauty, etc. As a result, for us that person embodies the American myth; if we envy them, it’s because we picture ourselves in their place. If they can do it? We can, too. Only, that’s not often the case. Some people toil in obscurity for years and never get anywhere, while others inherit billions and walk the red carpet. Money grants power–regardless of how you get it–as does popularity. And, according to 2016, it doesn’t matter how you claim your corner of fame as long as you get in that spotlight. To get that lucrative shot, you also have to be in the right place at the right time with the right people. For whatever reason, however, whether it’s family obligations or worrying about that next bill, we can’t always do the things that grant us key opportunities no matter how hard we try. So, we make do with what we have, envy those who “made it”, and keeping dreaming that American dream.

Many of us also understand that the ability to achieve your wildest dreams is not just about who you are, who you know, and what you have, but how everyone else perceives your value, too. That ever-changing lens is often based on the color of your skin, your age, your gender, your appearance, and your body type; these thoughts are often wrapped up in a host of other people’s opinions both real and manufactured by gossip rags and this season’s fashion trends. They exist and, no matter how much we do to ignore them, we are aware that some invisible hand holds us back and it’s not true that every opportunity is available. Worse, often we feel we can’t talk about glass ceilings, because thanks to that myth of American individualism, for many those ceilings don’t exist and our real struggles are reduced to lying, whining, or being a sore loser.

The fact that Americans do not govern themselves and we are not all treated equal, dear reader, is partly why we have officials on a local, state, and national level. We elect politicians because we trust and need them to look out for us, the proverbial “little guy”, who lives on every corner of every street in America. We’ve grown up believing that our politicians, elected by the People, for the People, are supposed to pledge governance for all Americans–not just some of us. Yet, here we are at the end of 2016. We feel betrayed, because we have been deserted by politicians who have forgotten why they exist in the first place: to serve all Americans and not just themselves and “their” voters.

We understood, intellectually, that this was going to happen. We don’t have to look very far to examine the evidence: the erosion of bipartisanship over the past two decades, the power grabs by state governors, the foot-stomping in Congress, the endless conspiracy theories about President Obama, etc. We knew that it was possible for a President to hold office who also shares those same, self-serving ideologies as our local and state politicians, but deep down we didn’t think it was. For those of us who didn’t vote for Trump, we thought that the betrayal our British allies felt after Brexit wouldn’t happen here, but it did.

Now, on a national level, regardless of what the President-Elect does or doesn’t do after he’s inaugurated, we will be forced to ask ourselves hard questions about who we are both as a country and as individuals–and that “we” includes Trump supporters. Why? Because, regardless of whether or not you believe that your “side” won, politicians are supposed to compromise and work towards by-partisanship because they govern all American citizens–not just the ones who agree with them. Right now, I do not believe this (bipartisanship) will be a goal for this presidency, because it hasn’t held true in Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina, etc. Only “some” benefit, and if you don’t agree with their policies and exercise your constitutional right to protest, you’re clearly an enemy just for being who you are and deserve to be hurt. Why? For so many who are crushed under the weight of American individualism, their lack of success isn’t the fault of the system or economic inequality, it’s your fault. Either they don’t see themselves in you and they’re afraid to admit it, or you have something they feel they deserved. The accessible target, are always the easy ones to blame.

America is not broken because of our diversity; we are beautiful and prosperous when we embrace it. The stories we all share are what give me hope, what makes me proud to be an American. I know who I am, and your stories do not threaten my identity–they inspire me to be a better human being. Now, at the end of a soul-shattering year, I am left with more questions than answers because my faith in this country has been shaken. Can we, as a nation, be successful despite our many differences because we are all Americans in the end? Right now, my answer would be: “I don’t know.” If our politicians won’t fight for all of us, then who will? What happens when our country defaults to ideological purity and millions of Americans become “one of them”? And who is “them”, anyway? Is it a moving target dictated by your identity and your beliefs rather than your actions? When someone is attacked, either verbally or physically, right in front of us–will we step up or step aside? Will we make different choices because we internalized a stranger’s value is less than because we don’t share their identity? Will we seek change when we recognize what biases we’ve internalized? What happens when the infighting between those of us classified as “them” gets so bad you’d rather hide or run away or join the “winning” side than take a stand because you’re being attacked by people you agree with?

If these questions feel overwhelming, it’s because they are. If you fear that our identity as Americans is in trouble, it’s because it is. In the end, the one soul-searching, gut-wrenching question we’re forced to ask is this: “What can I do?”

My answer isn’t a set of actions, but a promise. “I will do the best I can with what I have, for as long as I can.”

So long 2016, and thanks for nothing.



December 31, 2016
Permalink ∞

Prepping for the MANW 2017 Challenge

Less than a week before my Make Art Not War 2017 Challenge begins! I hope you’ve had your fill of Christmas cookies, nog, and coffee–wait, what am I saying? One can never have too much coffee, of course. But, if you had to give that java-flavored nectar of the gods up, how would you do it? You might make a New Year’s Resolution, but do you have a plan in place? What would you replace your coffee with?

Okay, I admit it. That was a trick question, and not a very good one at that. My point, is that in order for resolutions to be successful, something has to change. The desire you have–whether it’s making art for an hour a day or not–is the door to where you want to go. In order to head some place new, you have to leave another place behind. Making art an hour a day doesn’t seem like it’s that big of a change, but in order to carve out that time something else has to go.

My suggestion to make room for your art was take a hard look at your social media usage for two reasons: one, because it’s a commonality that we all share. Two, however, is something I wasn’t explicit about, and that’s. Back when I was in online marketing, one of the older books I read on the subject talked about how the average person is presented with over 4,000 brands on a daily basis, but only retains two or three(1). The philosophy that emerges from this, is that we are bombarded with information on a daily basis. Every update we see on social media is information presented through words or pictures, but more than that it’s not emotion-free–especially when a commenter is being a jerk, or doesn’t recognize that other people are responding and reacting to their words.

Connection is important, and for me I prefer Twitter because I also use it as a news feed. But, those online connections also occupy precious head space that needs to be devoted to thinking about what I need to do to make art.

Of course, your mileage will vary. For as much as I have a rule about bi-weekly check-ins, I can’t totally disconnect due to work reasons so those check-ins are personal. In my case, the bi-weekly check-ins are general guidelines or best practices, in part because I use Twitter as a news aggregator in addition to a social media tool. I’m not going to punish myself if I don’t keep on top of that; the guidelines are there to ensure I remain focused.

To this end, however, I’m going to use bullet journalling as a means of staying on track. (More on that later.) Your experiences, your connection will definitely be different than mine. If you’re not aware of how it impacts your art, you may discover things about yourself during the challenge. For example, you might find yourself disconnecting naturally as your focus becomes stronger and sharper on your art. That’s okay! That’s what happens when you turn your attention from what’s around you to what’s inside.

So, if you’re preparing for my Make Art Not War 2017 Challenge, think about how you’ll make room for your art to increase the likelihood that you’ll stick with it all year. If you’re not sure what to do–don’t worry! Your fellow challengers will support you, and I’ll post motivational tips every week to help keep you on track.

Just a few days to go, and we’ll kick this year-long art-making party off. Let’s make some f-bombing art!

(1) I don’t have the source off the top of my head, but if I find it I’ll link to it.

December 29, 2016
Permalink ∞

Because Santa Cards are Way Better with Zombies

The Grinch Avatar

I want to get rocking on my Make Art Not War 2017 Challenge, and as part of that one of my “wish list” items is to squee about something cool that I really enjoy. Today’s squee is timely, and it’s about Michael Spradlin’s Zombie Christmas Cards. I found out we had a couple of these left, and off in the mail they went with braaaaaaiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnsssssss.

Anyway, I dig Michael’s illustrations and the jokes for these cards. Zombies are a nice, geeky way to share the holiday spirit for those who appreciate the undead with their candy canes and nog.

Here’s a picture of one of the cards; if you click on it, it’ll take you to www.zombie-cards.com where you can see both illustrations, their interiors, and buy a set for next year.



December 21, 2016
Permalink ∞
Previous Posts Next Posts




Looking for Monica’s books and games that are still in print? Visit Monica Valentinelli on Amazon’s Author Central or a bookstore near you.

Archives

Back to Top