THE ARTIVIST
The Artivist A roadmap for the younger generation on making the world a better place Do you ever worry about what today’s youth will ask us when they are old enough to realise what kind of world we’ve left them to live in? As a parent of a three-year-old, it’s a constant thought that circles in my mind. It’s a big reason why I wrote and illustrated The Artivist. This book is the story of my very own Artivist journey. The main character follows a very similar path to my actual career as an Artivist, which has spanned more than ten years so far. After one of my Sunday Sketches went viral, I realised just how much power there is in a single art piece to spark conversations centered around social justice. Sunday after Sunday, I began creating one art piece that reflected what was happening in the world. I often begin from a personal place, where I highlight a specific person or group of people who have been adversely affected by one of the many ‘broken bones’
in our society, whether that is racism, income inequality, global pollution, wars, gun violence or any other harmful issue that needs to be fixed. Once I have chosen that personal story, I will research the broken bone and the affected individual(s) and often paint a portrait or scene that speaks to their humanity and their situation. The final step is sharing it with the world, so that as many people as possible can learn about the issue and
24 | EDUCATION CHOICES MAGAZINE | AU T U M N 2 02 3
