Activism with Kindness
Eliminating the Competing Artist Myth
The desire to enact change is a feeling shared by many, often connecting via social media. While there’s no end to communication, one might be at a loss for how they can make tangible change in the United States1, where competition and profits are the main components of capitalism and business.
It’s especially difficult for budding artists, such as Alaskan artist, Kiera Chase:
“I don’t know how connected I am with the art community, to be honest. I’m just someone who creates art. It’s another form of self-expression right alongside talking to people and getting a haircut.”
It’s intimidating when you’re a single artist; however, Chase is cognizant of where the root of the issue lies. The majority of the problems the art community currently faces in today’s climate comes not from the community itself, but from a world driven by profit where artists become competitors in order to gain a larger audience. A larger audience means more revenue, thus the vicious cycle of needing to procure more customers for financial sustainability.
A shift needs to take place; as eloquently explained by Chase, with society needing to collectively decide not only to prioritize its culture, but put the efforts to cultivate it. The arts need to be funded in order for the arts to thrive. Additionally, fellow artists must recognize their biases and stop gatekeeping, from determining what something is and isn’t, to refusing to support art the viewer deems political.
The art piece, Into the Stratosphere, is a breath of fresh air. The threaded red wings leap from the purple canvas, emboldened against the light yellow clouds, as though in lift. However, this isn’t the goal with her art:
“I don’t focus on ‘uplifting myself and my fellow underrepresented artists in my community’ because that description feels very shallow when I apply it to my actions, and because it’s not what I set out to do. I try to be kind, and I love to see others succeed. That’s it.”
Chase’s understanding of “apricity” stems from her living in Alaska, where the residents’ coordination with the sun is unique, as the amount and time of daylight varies year-round. Depending on the season, the sun affects the weather, such as feeling energized though it’s evening or intensifying the cold. It’s this relationship that brings her to define apricity as “the energy sunshine gives us, instead of the warmth. It’s how you lose track of time when you’re enjoying yourself outside, how you feel alive when the sun and the air shock your body into demanding a full day of movement. Apricity is the visceral understanding that the sun brings us life and how powerful that can be.”
She is the humbled Icarus, reaching toward the sun while respecting its might. Into the Stratosphere, with its threading resembling wings, upholds her definition of apricity:
“Into the Stratosphere is my visual representation of chasing apricity. The wings stretch out to reach as much sunlight, as much warmth, as much energy as possible, but they are also in flight. You get the sense that not only is it absorbing sunlight, it’s taking that energy and celebrating it and doing something with it.”
The creation of Into the Stratosphere was done in two parts. First, Chase painted the background in the outdoors whilst enjoying the sun and spending time with her dogs. She used this time to practice painting clouds. Later, multitasking online math assignments from quarantine schooling, she would sketch a pair of wings. This imagery stuck with her. Then, the idea of sewing into the canvas came out of those sketches. It was the first time she tried to sew in this manner. Combined with simultaneously learning how to paint clouds, this piece was experimental at every step:
“I refuse to be restrained. Everything we do reflects and defines ourselves; every art piece is in its own way a self portrait. Growth can only come from the refusal to be static.”
Like Chase’s piece, the art community as a whole must begin to be experimental. While we can’t immediately dismantle the system that relies on competition and profit, we can act against it. While Chase may feel unsure of her place in the art community, acknowledging that the community can be better makes her a part of it.
Creating art itself means you belong in the art community. There are many kinds of artists, whether spearheading projects to foster solidarity or addressing inequity face value; however, one is not less of an artist if this is not your focus. One must be daring to make change, and even the most radical change can be made with the smallest gesture. We must all start with supporting each other, refraining from jealousy when others succeed.
Perhaps, what we need most, is kindness.
Thank you for reading Contemplations with Keana! Contemplations is a newsletter including my reflections on personhood and poetry, activism and intergenerational trauma, the Filipinx/a/o community, articles without a home, reviews too emotional for Medium, and more. Subscribe for free to receive new posts once a month and to support my work year-round. For more of my work, please visit my website. To contact me for other queries, I can be reached at KeanaAguilaLabra@Gmail.Com. Thank you again!
The United States of America is an imperialist empire residing on stolen land. We acknowledge that the land upon which we live belongs to the Indigenous First Nations people. There are 574 federally recognized tribes. I give acknowledgement to the Ohlone tribe, as I live upon their land.
2. This article was originally published by revolture, a now defunct publication.