In turbulent times, I feel lucky to be an artist.
When difficulties arise in our communities, we are already positioned to help as social and cultural connecters.
We are in the business of joy, solace, catharsis, and empathy.
We are a bridge between past and future and between people all over the world.
This is the time, my fellow artists and musicians, to really understand who we are and what unique roles we have in our society.
AN ARTIST’S ROLE
I was inspired by a map of roles in social change I saw created by Deepa Iyer. See the map here.
In all these roles on the map — Healer, Disrupter, Storyteller— I saw the ways that artists contribute to our culture.
Below, I discuss a few of the infinite roles that artists can take on in society.
Do you see yourself in any of these roles? Share your combination of roles in our Facebook group.
THE HEALER
Your primary role as a healing artist is to bring comfort and solace to others. You gravitate towards art that has a calming, balancing, and restorative effect on others.
THE STORYTELLER
You create stories through your art that share experiences, histories, and cultures.
Your art creates narratives that give meaning and purpose to our lives through shared understanding.
THE WEAVER
Your primary role is to bring people together. Your work brings together many different artists and community members to share ideas, art, and experiences. You see the potential for and create new connections that others may not see.
THE BRINGER OF JOY
You are called to gather your community for celebrations and you hold space for the expression of ecstatic happiness. Your art invites others to smile, clap, dance, and jump for joy.
THE EXPERIMENTER
This role is for the innovators that are always trying something new. Whether in your art itself or in creating new ways to experience art and culture together, the experimenter is always striking out into new and untested waters.
THE GUIDE
Guides share what they have learned and lead others on their own path of discovery. Guides can share their experience through formal teaching roles or through arts and opportunities that broaden the horizons for participants.
THE DISRUPTER
The disrupter isn’t afraid to take actions that shake up the status quo of arts traditions. While the disrupter has learned and understands the traditions from which their art stems, they want to break new ground and change the way we interact with art in our society.
THE VISIONARY
This is the artist that is thinking big. The visionary is a person who thinks about the grandest possibilities and shares their hopes and dreams for a new direction for the arts.
THE BUILDER
Finally, we have the important role of the builder. This role is one who takes ideas and builds, develops, and implements them. This is the role that tends to the nuts and bolts of sharing art with the wider world.
WHAT’S YOUR ROLE?
Did you see yourself in any one of the roles above?
Most people will find themselves and their calling in a combination of these roles.
Are you a HEALER / WEAVER or a VISIONARY / DISRUPTOR ?
Did you think of your own role that I didn’t include above?
Share your unique combination in our Facebook group and let’s see if we can find someone who fits each one!
