https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/art-therapy
Despite how well Kamala Harris is doing in the polls, there is still an undertow of anxiety for many of us. We have seen this horror movie before and it is scary.
It’s what they want. The whole GOP political strategy is modeled on domestic violence. They stoke fear in some and rage in others. Springfield, Ohio has become a microcosm of this.
We can effectively subvert this and reject it, but we must respect that the abuse is real and the pain it causes is real.
The first thing is to claim you feel what you feel. If you feel awful, feel awful. Don’t let anybody, even with the best of intentions, tell you ‘Well, now it’s not so bad and…’ My feelings are mine, your feelings are yours and if we feel awful, nobody can tell us differently.
I have done Bible studies with domestic violence survivors for many years, and I have found the Psalms of Lament to be essential for this work. Over 50 of the Psalms in the Hebrew Bible are these prayers that come from deep pain. Jesus quotes a Psalm of Lament from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Psalm 22)
When we are being abused, either in intimate relations or politically, we can feel abandoned and that there is no one to help.
It is validating for our politics of subversion to lament what is happening to our country. It is not a new thing in American history that some with power will organize to exploit and control others, but there is a particular virulence to the cruelty of these times and crying out about that is warranted.
Claiming what you feel, and what is really happening in this nation, is a step on the path to taking back control.
Community is crucial, either in a religious community, a circle of friends, or a political group, and optimally, in my view, all of the above. People should validate each other’s feelings, as well as strategize together. That is a way to assert control.
I have come to love Taylor Swift and the Swifties. They seem to really understand the power of music to create community. I routinely go to TikToc now (yes I do!) and watch their videos. Shake it off!
Generation Z (the post-millennials) have got it right. A Stanford researcher has found them “a highly collaborative cohort that cares deeply about others and have a pragmatic attitude about how to address a set of inherited issues like climate change.”
As Taylor Swift seems to do, be an agent in your own life, and assert your right to act rather than be acted upon. I am so glad my granddaughters love her music.
Limit your intake of the news. It’s mostly Russian bots anyway. Make your own choices and do so consciously.
Take action in this campaign. Giving money is fine, but writing for your local paper, calling politicians, putting up signs, and going to marches and demonstrations carrying signs you have made yourself is crucial. Do this frequently and don’t let people tell you ‘That won’t do any good.’ It is the only thing that ever has in human history.
Make some art. If, like me, you have no talent for drawing or painting, do it anyway. Medical research has found it is excellent for reducing anxiety. Finger paint, by the way, is terrific for expressing emotion. Or you can write a song or a fiction story. As some of you may know, I write murder mystery fiction. If music composition or story-writing does not appeal, create a play with some others and perform it, if only for yourselves.
And we must party. I learned that from mujerista (Latinix feminist) theologian Ada María Isasi-Díaz. She once told me, “The problem with you gringas is you don’t fiesta.” So, in memory of Ada, let us fiesta like we mean it. Let’s have fun together in our families, whether biological or of choice, in our communities or other groups. Fiesta is a direct insult to the abusers. The abuser does not want us to sing and dance as though we were free.
I like to think that’s why Jesus and the disciples were criticized by the elites of their time for having a good time, eating and drinking together (Matt. 11:19) They were enjoying life, and oppressors hate that in the oppressed.
Lament together, make art, march together and party together. And vote.
That is subversion in my view.
Don’t we all, Ruth? I just refuse to let them live rent-free in my mind. Hard, though.
That was Ada, always right!