A Sliver of Truth In A Time Of Tyranny

Creative writing as an alchemical process of strength and transformation

The most immediate reaction I feel in the face of Trump’s rise to power is helplessness. There are so few things I can do to stop this train of destruction. But helpless is exactly how fascists want me to feel, want us to feel. So at times like this, I reject helplessness first at the core level, inside myself, by protecting my creativity, and centering myself inside of it. Because creativity is my birthright, and yours, and I refuse to cede it to forces that hope we’ll do just that.

Creativity is more than a particular method of art-making. It’s not a plan, a system, or a trick we pull out of our pockets to impress. Creativity is a space we enter, a way of moving through the world that demands curiosity, risk, and a willingness to be undone. At its heart, a practice of “writing in the dark” is not about writing better stories, crafting perfect sentences, or charming our way into a publisher’s inbox—although we might want those things, and we might get them. But they’re not the most im…