The Role of Creatives as Shamans and Spirit Guides

Before there was writing, there was cave art. Early humans—homo sapiens and Neanderthal alike—left their mark by creating jewelry and sculptures, making hand prints and, ultimately, painting pictures of their world.

It was their way of saying, “Hey. I was here.”

Given their circumstances, it seems like quite a thing to say.

Until recently, humans weren’t the top of the food chain. We were middling, at best, dealing with large predators like bears, chased by big cats, and harassed by pain in the ass wolves and hyenas. So those early humans had plenty to contend with. Still, they took the time to leave a message for future generations.

They bore witness as best they could and made art out of what they dealt with.

Our world is no less contentious. We don’t have too worry about a jaguar leaping out at us as we make our way to Starbucks, but we do have to watch out for lunatics with guns, human predators, and capitalists squeezing us for money.

Humans struggle with food scarcity, affordable rent, and healthcare. You can’t go wander in the wilderness to find your sustenance; you have to get a job. Employers often see us as an expense, rather than an asset.

It’s incumbent upon those of us who write, draw, or preform in some way to bear witness to these struggles, bring focus to the cruelties and injustice of society, and represent the disadvantaged.

That is to say, punch up.

When we write stories, paint portraits, or make music, the struggle to survive in our modern world should be a part of the work somehow, if only in spirit, to document all the shit we’re dealing with.

I’m not saying everything has to be about these things, but the harsh reality of modern society shouldn’t be obscured or white-washed. It should be there in the fabric of our art.

If you’re writing a rom-com, or straight up romance, you may not think social justice has a place in the genre. That’s fair. A lot of people want escapist entertainment. They want stoner comedies, uplifting music, and pretty pictures.

If the artist acknowledges the truth of the world when making escapist entertainment, it’ll be baked in somehow.

But if the artist thinks it’s all a bunch of hooey, and that the lower class gets what’s coming to them, the characters they portray will not seem quite human at some point. Things will be too easy, too funny, to be real.

Granted, we all get a kick out of a movie with an exploding mule (assuming no animals were harmed while filming the exploding mule) as long as the boy gets the girl, or they get them, or whatever. Leave us feeling happy.

Our ancestors struggled with a lot of stuff and slowly made a civilization. It all started with some wall painting. To be honest, it’s kindergarten level art skills with the hands and the stick figures shooting arrows at bison. It’s not like they knew how to paint the Mona Lisa.

Can you imagine what it says about the future given our ability to make art now? The stories are amazing. Paintings are fantastic. Music can lift your soul.

Given what we know about making art, take the responsibility seriously.

Think of future generations, and what they need to know about the shit we’re dealing with so that they can understand and learn.

Bear witness and speak the truth.