Sometimes, in the middle of a wonderful day, or a beautiful swell of joy and happiness… I start to feel bad. Guilty. Like I’m doing something wrong.
Other people in the world are living through terrible things. My own safety isn’t guaranteed. But overall, I’m honestly quite happy.
And then the guilt sets in. I start to feel bad about feeling good.
Does this happen to you too?
It makes sense.
The status quo powers that be (aka patriarchy aka capitalism aka white supremacy) want you to feel bad about your joy.
Guilty pleasures are by design – because when you associate guilt with pleasure…
It’s easier to talk you out of some you-time and into an extra shift. It’s easier to get you to give up on your dream based on shame and fear of failure. It’s easier to convince you to play it safe and never take risks.
You can feel good about some things. Like new shoes! Yessss, buy some new shoes! But make sure they’re sensible, and use a coupon, and don’t you DARE get any that are too flashy or sexy.
See what I mean?
The systems want us playing safe, playing small, and coloring inside the lines.
I say, fuck the lines. Color wherever you want.
The theme of the last season of my podcast was RENAISSANCE. The idea that a time of radical creation and artistic expression came out of something as devastating as the bubonic plague. The idea that art is not something that hides in times of darkness, but actually WE NEED MORE OF IT.
Now more than ever, we turn to art to cope. We stream our favorite artists’ new albums and buy their concert tickets. We binge amazing tv shows on Netflix and really enjoy that time. We read books from every genre, borrowing from the library or buying to add to our collections. We make new recipes and embrace soup season. We knit and crochet and do other witchcraft with fibers because it’s grounding and soothing.
Art matters. Art is how we add beauty to life. Art is creation is HUMANITY.
The further we drift from the belief that our own art matters, the more the status quo wins.
I want you to embrace creation. Make art. Doodle in the margins. Download a pretty phone wallpaper. Write a poem about the sunset even if it’s been done a thousand times.
You might think art needs to be masterful or unique or new.
No. Art just needs to be from your heart.
That’s how we change the world.
I understand that you may be tired, overwhelmed, and feeling bleak when you think about the state of the world. And I am inviting you to believe that making some art about it will help. A lot.
One person’s art may not change the world. But think about a thousand people making art. A million. An entire country’s worth of art. The entire world, connected by passion.
To get there, it starts with you.
You can color outside the lines. You can say, “Not today, capitalism. I’m taking a nap and reading a book because art matters.”
PS. This is the kind of mind blowing connection with passion and creativity that I teach in the Passion Pacers membership. It’s a monthly membership for creatives to unlearn the hustle, stop trying to monetize all their hobbies, and just vibe with their innate human need for creation.
Passion Pacers is $44 a month – but I’m doing an end of the year special because I think you’d love the vibe in here. Right now, you can buy an annual membership for just $400! Roughly 25% off what you’d pay month over month for the same time.
What would your creative expression be like in a year if you had a safe space to practice, make mistakes, and stay accountable to your goals? Hopefully AMAZING.
It’s okay to choose YOU. It’s okay to choose FUN. It’s okay to choose ART.
I am here to help every step of the way.
Caitlin Liz Fisher 