Burning planet. Second Waves. Spiking numbers. Anti – science. Conspiracy theorists. Mental illness. Financial stresses – you get the picture. I would say we’ve got all the materials in place for one big-ass, nasty dystopia.
And yet.
And yet…good things are still happening. Sometimes they are small things. I attended the opening of an art show this weekend. It showcased the artwork of local artists depicting their favourite recipes in various media in a newly published cookbook.
One of my pieces is in it. The project was a challenge for me as I had never done illustrated recipes before, and I had a huge learning curve. Working with inks on paper is completely different than erasing a graphite drawing, or painting over something on a canvas, the two artforms I knew. But I wanted to learn, and after seven – yes, seven – bloody do-overs, I finally had a result that was acceptable to me, if not anywhere near the level of some of the other submissions.
Each failure, whether paper wilting from an overload of wet ink, omitting an entire word, or having the pen slip and ruin the entire drawing, was a learning experience. I was fed up and just about insane by the seventh go, but I had committed to the project and I was not quitting. I loved the idea of the book. We were instructed to choose a special recipe and not just render it artistically, but write about its significance, what made it important to us.
roles reversed
I wrote about Caprese Salad, because it was taught to me not by a long-departed loved relative, but by my two daughters. They had both gone away and learned lots of things, as youth do, including new cooking skills. Likely had some spectacular failures along the way – but they also gained knowledge and confidence, and taught me one of their recipes. The roles of teachers and students reversed. New ideas introduced… you see where I’m going with this?
challenges
Learning curves and challenges. Creatives of all types are still making art, including writers describing the world (even if it’s sometimes hidden in “fiction”). Integrity and kindness still endure on this beautiful planet, and in many, many ordinary people, despite screaming headlines. Yes, there have been dismal failures in social justice and taking care of our planet. We face terrifying learning curves.
we can do this
But there are still caring people. The young have plenty of new recipes for us to think about and act upon. Much more has to and will be done.
I know we can do this.
Keep creating.
