by Jessica Lee
Jessica Lee is a queer, chronically ill writer, artist & former organizer living in so-called Salt Lake City, Utah. They’ve spent the last few years reconnecting with their childhood love of making art by giving themselves permission to play through drawing.
They’ve recently finished participating in The 100 Day Project by committing to create something, every day, for 100 days, and chose to do so by drawing portraits accompanied by poetic prose that reflected whatever emotion, thoughts or struggles they were experiencing that day.
In a world that is constantly demanding too much of us, taking the time each day to simply play & create is a revolutionary act. During a time when AI is churning out meaningless images, and art is only seen as beneficial if it can somehow be monetized, it’s important to remember that the impulse & desire to create art is one of the things that make us human and helps connect us to others–particularly in times of hardship & uncertainty.
Anyone can make art, simply by starting to do so, with whatever tools they have on hand, and being willing to experiment & learn. Draw a picture. Write a poem. Crochet a scarf. Do it again. And again. Keep doing it. Keep making art. Make bad art. Make silly art. Experiment. Again. And again. Learn & grow as you go but keep going. Do it because it’s fun, because you want to, because you can. As Lidia Yuknavitch says, “Make art in the face of fuck.”
You can find Jessica most places online as @ninsiana0.
The Revolutionist 