Graffiti

It goes without saying that these are some truly trying times in the world. Many are hurt. Many are angry. Many are feeling hopeless. It brings me great dejection to say that these feelings are well warranted and their relevance will paint the path forward that our society will take. In many communities across the country there have been instances of violence, of rioting, and of looting. It seems to be all that people want to focus on. Never mind the systemic issues that led to the acts, never mind the pain of the human beings that is reverberating throughout the country like a searing flame. No lets focus on stuff, since I guess that's what's really important. I swear this society is sick, but you know what, I am going to talk about stuff. However I'm not going to talk about what has been destroyed. No, I'm going to talk about what's been created, since I feel there's a lot more merit in that.

I've always been of the opinion that the human spirit is an immensely powerful thing. I've always believed that within each and every person lies the potential to bring wondrous creations into the world and I've also always believed that this intrinsic creative spirit that lies within all of us is the stuff of divinity, if there is such a thing. I believe that the creative spirit of man kind has the power to move mountains, figuratively and literally. The way we can create has the power to overcome immense issues and I believe it will be the path forward. Art plays a big role in society. It shapes narratives, it carves the path forward, it gives a voice to movements. I wont deny a sense of pride in the fact that all these beliefs that I hold have been getting confirmed more and more recently.

Over the past week I've taken to walking about downtown Madison again. It was wonderful to be out and about once more since it had been several months since I had done so due to the Covid-19 situation. What I saw inspired many thoughts and many feelings. Throughout the town were stores boarded up, signs of violence, signs of looting, signs of a society buried in turmoil. However again, that's not what I'm going to talk about. What I want to talk about is what I saw inscribed on so many of those boarded up shops. It was art. Beautiful pieces of expression scattered all about the area. One would be hard pressed to find a single board not dawning a form of expression. To be sure, the overall picture that was painted was one of a conflicted message. For every mural depicting a resolute hope for change, there was at least one expression of pain. But in total, I would say the very city itself was telling a story, one that is sure to be recounted throughout history.

We are going through a landmark period in this nations history. I always knew that was a possibility, but I could never be sure when it would happen. The world is changing around us and we are endowed with the remarkable ability to shape that change, to play a pivotal role in it. All of the artists of Madison have evidently elected to evoke their creative abilities and do just that. I spent many hours witnessing all of the creations, marveling at their intricacies and contemplating the pain that inspired some of the more unsavory expressions because I truly believe that all of it is relevant. The beauty and the pain, the strength and the dejection, all of it is part of this grand tale that is unfolding. I just hope with every fiber of my being that our society learns from this period and that we come out of it with something worth telling our descendants.