The May 4th 2009 edition of the Nation includes an article by Jeff Chang titled “The Creative Stimulus” (http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090504/chang) which gives voice to the power of creative expression in a way I rarely see. He talks about art as a way to not only restore human dignity, but in doing so, becoming an economic engine much different that the economics of art we have seen so far in our history.

“Culture is not just something conservatives wage war on,” Chang says. “The arts are not just something liberals dress up for on weekends. Creativity can be a powerful form of organizing communities from the bottom up.”

In the Brush Fire framework, we say that personal expression is a vitally important for a whole life. It is the generator of the ideas that create change and the power to manifest those ideas in life. This is crucial work for all communities in all times, but especially communities where access to power is limited.

Speaking of two arts-based communities in Oakland, Chang says, “Their communities are the most vulnerable to assaults on creativity, but they are also incubators of the most innovative ideas and movements of our time. This ‘creative communities’ approach has created a vigorous and vital alternative to neoliberal and neoconservative versions of change.”

From Brush Fire’s perspective, the alternative to all recognized versions of change comes from following the true creative impulse. When we are truly creative, we are not imitating anything that’s come before so solutions to problems are not only novel, but they resonate with the deepest parts of us. That resonance creates a lasting change as we live our way into the answers. That way, we can be free of corporate influences and the creation of “lifestyle economies” and concentrate instead on change that sustains and enriches communities.

Can we really create a new economy based on creativity-fueled change? I’m not sure if the global mind shift that would be required of us is possible. What do you think?

M's first Brush Fire painting

After two weeks of lockdown during our program, we are back on track at juvenile hall. Since the girls typically get shorter sentences, three of the painters who began this round of programming have been released. One of them, M., knew she’d be getting out and she confided in me that she was a little scared. She’s turning 18 and has timed out of the system.

I was surprised to hear she wasn’t thrilled to leave the place behind her. I assumed that the punitive nature of incarceration would make anyone happy to go. M. told me she’s been in the system her whole life, first as a baby in foster care, then in juvie on and off for her entire adolescence. She told me that a woman who only cares about gambling and drinking adopted her at some point, but she really didn’t make much of a mother. In fact, M. said that the only place in the world she feels cared for is in juvenile hall. Something about people setting limits and expectations makes her want to do better for herself.

So know she is being dropped into the world with no safety net, no skills, and talent for getting into trouble. She also has a talent for painting. It was hard to get her to leave one of her paintings behind, but she finally agreed to share her very first painting. Here’s what she had to say about it:

This painting is about my anger and not being able to act on it. The red is because it is the color of anger, the x’s because I couldn’t do anything to change my situation, and the tear drops because all I could do was cry – they are tears of anger.

" My painting is about how I feel ­ me feeling antsy plus all my emotions mixed together...." S.S., March 2009, san Mateo Juvenile Hall

Today I attended my first public grant panel at the SF Arts Commission. Among the proposals under consideration was the YMCA request for continued funding for art programs at Malcolm X Academy. Yes, that’s right: This morning I sat with a handful of strangers listening to four arts experts judge a variety of projects competing for commission funds, including Brush Fire’s work at our most beloved school. Can you imagine anything more nerve wracking?

I have to hand it to the panel members. They sure know their stuff. All four of them had clearly read each proposal carefully. Most of their comments were focused on passages that were inconsistent or confusing, programs that were overambitious or unoriginal, and budgets that were unrealistic or incomplete. I was especially impressed with one panelist who started out each of her comments with “I wonder if?” as if she were tossing off some casual thought only to follow with a question or comment that revealed a wealth of knowledge about after school art programs. I got myself a little worked up by the time our proposal was reviewed. The panel had been smart and thorough. What if they don’t stand behind art as a tool for healing? How would I say goodbye to Malcolm X students if we lose our funding? These thoughts tumbled across my awareness as my stomach swirled in anticipation.

We won’t know the outcome for a few weeks yet, but I’m pleased to report that the review was quite positive! They were charmed by the slide show of our kids doing art, and they had few negative comments regarding the clarity of the program design. A few of them mentioned that they really liked our reasons for the 5th grade mural. I’ll keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best!

One of the art super stars at Malcolm X Academy

It seems to be a given that in any classroom, there will be one kid who has a harder time than other kids staying focused on his painting. It is less often true that the kid with attention deficit finds a way to calm himself down and stay on task.

So I was surprised one day to find L. in the back of the classroom quietly working on a painting. L. is not a bad kid, he’s just easily distracted, but even so, I found myself wondering if his silence was the sign of some wrong doing. I sidled up to him and saw he was mixing colors with more concentration that I’d seen him display in all our classes combined. Not wanting to break the spell, I left him alone, but I kept him in my peripheral vision in case something changed.

Nearly five minutes went by before L. picked his head up and announced. “Hey Everybody! Guess what! Red and blue and purple are brothers!” The kid discovered color theory on his own! What an awesome experience; way more awesome than if I had showed him.