Last fall during the pleas to spare Troy Davis’ life, I felt a panic that I hadn’t felt in a while. As I learned that multitudes of evidence was available, indicating that there was questionable doubt about Troy Davis’ guilt in the slaying of a police officer, a glimmer of hope began to show its face to suggest that justice would prevail in the 12th hour for a man that had been jailed for years for a crime he was not guilty of. But, although the evidence was overwhelming indicating his innocence, Troy Davis was executed.
I wrote poem after poem after this unjust killing. Poetry helped me articulate my feelings and kept me connected to my creative community as we grieved together. It wasn’t a concern what the poem sounded like, but how it helped me cope According to the website recover-from-grief.com, when it comes to any type of art– “..it doesn’t matter what your drawing looks like, if you benefited by creating it.”
Sometimes, we lose sight of the healing power of our creative genius. If we know we can sing or we can write, we are often encouraged to move toward the monetizing of our craft. But, let’s not lose sight of the reasons we do our art. Often it is because it makes us feel good. When we are sad, or confused or devastated, art becomes our salvation.
Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman is a writer and editor of several books, including the anthology Liberated Muse Volume I: How I Freed My Soul. She offers editing, proofreading and creative coaching services to authors who self-publish. Contact her at KhadijahOnline@gmail.com for a free consultation.
Read other Creativity Tips by Khadijah:
Creativity Tip: Confronting ‘Intense Contradictions’ As An Artist
#1 Pitfall Artists Should Avoid
The Creative Midwife 
Reblogged this on The Artistic Parent.