Do you remember what you were doing on presidential election day in years past? Maybe you might in 2016, but I doubt you’ll remember before that. Past elections have been commonplace affairs. I don’t mean to trivialize it because voting is important, but I never felt that my life and the lives of my children and grandchildren were on the line like this election. I thought COVID was bad enough, but this is worse. Over the past months, I’ve been anxious, scared, angry, frustrated, depressed. .. you name it.
I try to keep elections out of my mind by staying busy in the studio and preparing for the upcoming Chatham Artists Guild Studio Tour for the first two weekends in December, the Annual Cary Photographic Artists Exhibition, and a Studio Tour preview exhibition at the Carrboro Arts Center. I’ve been framing my fine art prints, printing and packaging greeting cards, and ordering other products. I’ve been working on cataloging the prints and getting my pricing model in good shape. It’s a lot of work but more complex in this political environment.
A while ago, I made a decision that has changed my life. I decided to get involved in the political process and volunteer for the Chatham County Democratic Party. I’ve never done this until now, and I’m 66. I’ve been a Republican all my life, but the party left me behind long ago, which saddens me to see what the Republican party has become. This personal involvement has given me a new perspective, and I hope it resonates with you.
How can one think about fine art photography in these times? I’m finding it very difficult. The current political climate has seeped into my creative process, making it hard to focus on my art. I have ideas for still-life light paintings waiting to be done, but I can’t seem to bring myself to create them. It’s a frustrating and disheartening experience. Unfortunately, I realize that even if Vice President Harris defeats Trump, the environment will not revert to bliss. We will still have to deal with a divided country, and I’m not sure what will bring it to healing.
One thing is for sure: I’ll remember what I was doing on November 5th, 2024, and the weeks of early voting beforehand. Let’s hope that North Carolina will give victories to Harris, Walz, and all Democrats to bring us back to political normalcy. I hold onto this hope, and I hope you do too.