As this article is being written, there’s so much going on— and has been going on—in the world. Meta illegally scraping books for AI, the end of the ceasefire in Palestine, and everything happening in the U.S. with DOGE. And that’s not to mention what’s been going on in our personal lives—both Rachel and I spent the start of the year combatting multiple illnesses.
Sometimes life sucks. Sometimes it feels like the world is ending. How do we make art when it feels like this… and should we?
I got this question a lot during our #NoShameNovember challenge after the United States 2024 election happened. For many in our Tenacious Writing community, it was a blow. In the discussion our members were asking, What is the point of writing? When the world is on literal fire, what’s the point of writing a silly, little fantasy romance?
First off, whatever you’re writing, it’s not silly. Secondly, the question of when we should and shouldn’t create has a different answer for every person on every day. What I want people to get from this blog post is not an answer, but an opportunity to hold space for how what’s happening in the world impacts the writing process.
We often have this idea that we alone can change the world. I’ve been there before, I used to work in climate justice, and I’ve had to come to terms with there’s only so much impact one person can have on their own. Your personal activism can only push the needle so much. Your books might change some people, but they aren’t going to change the world.
Does this mean you shouldn’t stop trying to do the right thing? No.
Does it mean you should stop writing? Absolutely not.
Your books aren’t going to change THE world, but they will change YOUR world, and that matters. I’m writing my books to make a sliver of my readers happy, to make myself happy, and to express my voice in a way that’s important to me. If I can move, or even ‘change’ one person, then I’ve done my work.
You can’t change the world on your own, but you can have a powerful impact on the lives of your friends, neighbors, and families with activism and support efforts. But that impact won’t happen to its fullest extent if you aren’t healthy, whole, and safe. You can’t show up as your best self if you’re not taking care of yourself, and art is one of the ways you can do that.
In November 2024, I turned in a draft of my story to my editor and had a week of free time I was going to use to rest. But then the United States election happened and I found myself obsessively working on a new project. I checked in with myself to make sure I hadn’t fallen into hustle culture behavior, but quickly realized that leaning into creativity was my way of dealing with my current reality. While other people found themselves unable to write, I couldn’t stop. It would have been easy for me to spiral in thinking there was something wrong with me for wanting to write when no one else did, but there’s no “correct” way to deal with how you show up to the page in times like these.
Sometimes it’s difficult to claim happiness and create art when it feels like a luxury. It can feel wrong to experience joy in the midst of so much heartbreak. But keeping happiness from yourself because other people are suffering doesn’t make the world a better place, nor does it make it easier for you to show up for those you can help and support. I personally struggle with the shame and guilt of having privilege that others don’t, and that’s real, but all you can do is channel that into making the world a better place in whatever small ways you can.
Taking care of yourself is critically important so you can show up for others.
OK, but what do you do when creating isn’t making you happy?
Rachel recently had a conversation with a writer friend of hers about how the wildfires in LA were making it impossible for them to show up to write. Rachel’s husband used to work as a wild land firefighter, and this other writer had personal connections to the folks impacted by the fires as well. Writing wasn’t making them happy, because nothing was making them happy. They had no motivation. While Rachel held the pain of people from across state lines, she found herself less emotionally available to write. The only solution was to acknowledge each other in this pain.
In one of our Tenacious Writing Zoom write-togethers last fall, members from all corners of the country were dealing with separate climate disasters. We were all trying to write together and show up in community. Being there together and holding space for the discomfort took some of the weight off.
The point is: There is no right or wrong way to create art during disasters. You’re allowed to do what you need to do to keep yourself healthy and whole.
There will inevitably be hard times, but to be kind. To others. To yourself.
Take care of yourself so you can show up for the world.
xo,
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