We Are Not Alone

We are not alone

There’s some moments when serendipity works around you and people and things arrive just when you need to hear them. Today was one of those mornings. I heard of a podcast about artists and activism so I started listening. The podcast is called Art is Change by Bill Cleveland.  The episode was called Gunrunners for the Arts. Hearing about Lenwood O Sloan and his activism and art totally inspired me this morning.  I’m in a place of disillusionment. As a disabled female artist, having had a few rejections lately from the projects that I have applied for. It is sometimes hard for me to appreciate the value of my work and my activism. Hearing these podcast this morning has encouraged me to keep going and appreciate that my activism and art is phenomenally important. It is not OK for me to be silenced. It is not OK for me to stop making my art. I must keep going. I’ve realised that literally on a day-to-day basis I have reason to continue my activism and my art. It has sometimes been so silenced, that it’s hard to encourage myself to continue.  This is my commitment to continue and to acknowledge the inspiration, serendipity, people places and things that encourage me, motivate me and cause me to make my art work and continue.

LO Sloan reminded me that often we are hidden and deleted from society. We cannot look to society to acknowledge that we are there. So we must do it ourselves. I was shocked to hear that there was no statues for men of colour or women in the Philadelphia park. I was shocked to hear of the stages they had to go through to get permission to make work on land that had been “ reclaimed” by the government for its parliament. Land that was actually their land. This reminds me how art is used in the capitalist society to make money and artists are not paid. As disabled artists we are further challenge by the oppressions of disability class

 Lesley Illingworth