Put Down our Arms, join Hands in Creative Action

by Vonnie Roudette Fri, Jun 22. 2012

Yet another treasured sister has been brutally slain. Our dear sister, Jennifer Lewis, whose bubbly spirit preceded great creative ventures in sculpture, ceramics, carnival arts, painting and teaching. Within less than two years in St Vincent and the Grenadines, she had shared her varied artistic experiences and gifts liberally. We are all stunned by her sudden and shocking removal from our community.{{more}}

I met Jennifer in January 2011, just weeks after she had arrived from London to care for her elderly mother. Initially, she had not intended to stay, and we talked a lot about life here, especially about how much input was needed in the fledgling visual arts movement. I invited her to the Art Room at College, and onto the radio program where she spoke about her work, and displayed her jewelry, prints and designs to the students.

Her adventurous sociable nature rose to the challenge of creating artwork here, and she began to plant seeds for her next stage of life on an island that presents many social and emotional challenges for creatives, and for women generally.

Coming from an urban environment, she embraced the exuberance of nature. Despite various challenges, she was happy here and committed to stay. She did not give up on the struggle of adjusting from a dynamic creative environment in the UK, (where 1% of the population are professional artists) to one where general misconceptions about the arts and artists prevail; her commitment was testimony to her resilience.

The loss of her continued engagement with us is a massive blow to the artistic community. We treasure each creative as a precious gift to our nation; we know the struggle and risk of expressing ourselves in a society that mistakes sensitivity for weakness. We thus feel Jennifer’s courage in all our heARTs. We are grateful for the time she spent with us, and the examples she set many, with her productivity, problem solving and resourcefulness.

Let Jennifer’s legacy be that we actively treasure all who reflect the goodness that can emerge from within us. It is through creativity that we recognize we are great and unique, not through our reputation for violence. Creativity expresses purposefully; it is the obvious antidote to aggression. Creative education struggles against may odds to nurture inclusion, cooperation, multiple perspectives, curiosity and resourcefulness in the youths. These are not just tools to create artforms, they are essential tools for our survival as communities. Creative action thus concerns everyone. Without it, we are denying our children their birthright – every one born bright, creative and beautiful – we must foster creativity as oxygen to a suffocating culture.

The daily incidents of abuse and violence reflect that loving community consciousness has broken down. Killing an innocent person is the most extreme example of the perpetrator falling victim to frustration and disempowerment. Abusers and intentional murderers demonstrate that their only hope in life is to gain attention through heinous acts; for many, it is a psychotic resolution to a long process of accumulated frustration.

We can and must provide alternative life choices. By refusing to participate in the culture of humiliation in our daily exchanges, communicate caringly and curb frustration before it builds up, by creating outlets to express and channel it into constructive action. This is where creative action steps in to provide healing solutions. This is not just about the ‘professional arts’, or the creative ‘industries’ or even the artistic reputation of individuals. As important as those may be at this stage of our economic development, they are the by-products of cultivating a creative attitude that has as its main function, personal empowerment and the bonding of community consciousness. Of being able to listen and empathize with each other and our natural environment.

Instead of witnessing a murder per week, let’s take a common sense approach to reducing frustration among our brothers and sisters so that we can create more productive and empowered communities. Create community action projects, visible community arts, productive activities to establish a trend of positivity and support that outgrows the fear. Mediation and counselling should be readily available in communities and every school should have its own counsellor. New teaching methodologies are needed to invite listening and participation. Sports facilities and creative programs should not be considered dispensible ‘extras’ in the curriculum, but vital in curbing delinquency and mental disorders. Cultural programs are essential for self-expression, developing a sense of belonging. Dialogue in all circles of life should be encouraged, so that different opinions can be heard and welcomed. Let’s express openly our support for those who try, instead of beating them down.

The murder of community members in our midst must surely be the catalyst for us to create a society that our children deserve. Parents, educators, farmers, police officers, politicians, administrators, artists – we are all community members. With concerted effort, we can minimize humiliation and invite courteous exchange and engage whatever skills and experience we have to share, as Jennifer did, because we care to make a difference.

Love for our community is a higher choice, but well within reach. Ask the creator within you to join hands with us and together we can manifest our communal I-land Self through positive action. I am certain the voice within you will say “yes” when you listen heartfully to the pain of the many who grieve.