34 minute read
Holiday Aesthetics
WRITTEN BY
Eric Seitz Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa are traditional winter celebrations. We take a deeper look at the origins of each holiday’s popular symbols and aesthetics.
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The holiday season is here, and the typical symbols of the impending holiday season surround us—red, green, blue and white herald December’s arrival. Many metropolitan areas— Cleveland included—are decked with grandiose Christmas trees, ornaments, colorful lights and hopefully a bit of snow. Our city and campus represent a diverse melting pot of people, and students are lucky enough to be exposed to many different cultural celebrations. Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa are among the holiday celebrations observed by students at Cleveland State. The aesthetics vary from celebration to celebration; read along to discover the origins of each.
We’ll start with the most popular holiday celebration, Christmas. Christmas is celebrated by 90% of Americans, according to the Pew Research Center. Christmas trees can be seen dotting residential front yards, storefronts and inside many businesses during
the year’s final months. The classic symbol of holiday cheer originates from Germany, dating back to the 16th century. German settlers in Pennsylvania brought Christmas trees—or Tenenbaums—to America in the 19th century. At first, Christmas trees were considered an oddity and took quite a while to catch on, due to the Puritan value of eliminating frivolous elements in celebrating the birth of Christ. Christmas trees did not become very popular until Queen Victoria and her family were depicted in the news, standing next to a Christmas tree. Because of Queen Victoria’s immense popularity, the Christmas tree soon became a staple in an increasing number of homes during the holiday season.
Interestingly, Americans typically have bigger trees than Europeans and have since the Christmas tree’s rise in popularity. Decorating the trees with ornaments began in Germany with dried fruits and items found in nature. In America, commercial organizations quickly caught onto the potential for increasing their capital in a new Christmas tradition. Ornaments of every color, shape and size began cropping up in businesses across the nation. Now, ornaments can commemorate a special trip, memories and milestones. Decorative ornaments are available as well!
Christmas lights adorn fences, trees, bushes, and almost every other surface one can wrap a string of lights around. Although these lights do not relate directly to Christmas, they often go hand-in-hand with Christmas aesthetics. The origin of Christmas lights begins not with electricity, but fire. Candles once sat upon the branches of Christmas trees but would soon be replaced by Edward Johnson with the Christmas lights we’re familiar with today. Candles were a little problematic as they were prone to starting fires, especially when wired onto a tree. Johnson made bulbs to replace the dangers of the candles on a tree, but they took a while to gain traction. The bulbs were bulky and expensive. Grover Cleveland popularized Christmas lights after he lit the White House Christmas tree with lights, which had recently been made more accessible and affordable by General Electric.
Mistletoe is another facet of Christmastime aesthetics, and a hallmark of nearly every Hallmark Christmas movie. Mistletoe’s romantic lore began with the Celtic Druids, as its ability to bloom in the winter symbolized vivacity. Kissing under the mistletoe most likely hails from an old Norse legend that depicted the gods reviving Odin’s son, Baldur, from the dead. Frigg, the goddess of love implored plants and animals to revive Baldur, and when he was risen, Frigg declared the mistletoe a symbol of love and promised to kiss anyone who passed beneath it.
Hanukkah is another holiday that has specific symbols and aesthetics attached to it. This year, Hanukkah will begin the evening of December 10, and end the evening of December 18. The menorah is most strongly associated with Hanukkah, and it is used during the eight day celebration, and each day a new candle is lit. This originated in the Israelites’ escape from slavery. Today, menorahs are available in different styles and makes. The dreidel is another interesting symbol associated with Hanukkah, a spinning top-like instrument. The dreidel song is familiar to almost all children, regardless of religious affiliation, but the origin story is not one typically shared in the same way.
The dreidel began as a “toy” rabbis and faithful
Jews employed to study the Torah, a practice that had been outlawed by the Greeks and was punishable if caught. The Hebrew letters embossed on each side of the dreidel read nun, gimmel, hey and shin. Contrary to popular lore surrounding the explanation behind the letters, such as their connection to kingdoms that tried to destroy the Jewish religion, the letters and dreidel itself existed and been played with around the world in several different languages.
Switching gears, Kwanzaa is next on the list.
Kwanzaa as a celebration, along with all of its symbols, originated in Los Angeles in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, a professor and chairman for Black
Studies at California State University. He wanted to instill a way for the African-American community to come together after the Watts riots. The Watts riots were a series of riots that took place in Watts, a predominantly Black neighborhood in Los Angeles.
The riots lasted six days, and resulted in 34 deaths, and numerous injuries and arrests.
Kwanzaa includes several symbols, including mazao, mkeka, vibunzi and muhindi, mishumaa saba, kinara, kikombe cha umoja, and zawadi. The first of these, mazao, is a mat that the rest of the following symbols will rest on. Vibunzi and muhindi is a singular stalk of corn. This stalk of corn represents fertility and family. Mishumaa saba are the candles that rest upon the kinara. There are three red candles, three green candles, and one black candle. These stand to pay homage to and represent the Pan-African flag. The kenara is the candleholder, similar to the menorah, that houses the mishumaa saba. Kikombe cha umoja is a cup of unity that promotes giving thanks to African ancestors. Lastly, zawadi are gifts. These gifts are given to those close to one, especially in the family.
No matter what you’re celebrating this season, enjoy the coziness and aesthetics across the board! Keep yourself educated on celebrations that differ from your own, and you may just learn something you didn’t know before. Take time to appreciate the beauty surrounding us in this season.
C VID-19
IN PRISONS
WRITTEN BY
Cara Robbins
ILLUSTRATIONS BY
Devin Benko
COVID-19 isn’t the only serious issue in
Nothing has exposed the most fractured structures within American society than the current coronavirus pandemic. There are, of course, the deteriorating social structures that have dominated the news cycle police brutality and systemic racism, insufficient access to healthcare, distrust in politicians and the government, boiling party tensions, poverty and income inequality, mental health, and plenty more. With America setting record-high numbers of covid cases each day, in the midst of a in the midst of a “third wave,” it becomes vital to discuss some of the issues that are swept to the side when discussing the disastrous humanitarian consequences of this virus—namely, how the COVID-19 pandemic has made life within prisons and jails around the country (specifically in Ohio) practically unbearable. Despite the fact that incarcerated populations represent the intersection of poverty, systemic racism, mental health and drug addiction— popular buzzwords in the news cycle—prisons have mostly been left out of the discourse of the coronavirus. This is namely because convicted criminals are not an inherently pitiable group. While reading this, however, I urge you to remember that human beings are complicated individuals and can still deserve sympathy and kindness despite their past.
COVID did not simply take hold of prisons out of the blue—in fact, the reason why the coronavirus has become such an issue in jails and prisons is thanks to plenty of preexisting—often inhumane— issues that allowed for the system to be extremely vulnerable to the virus. Therefore, before jumping in-depth into the present conditions, we must first explore the decades-long problems that have existed within prisons and jails. First and foremost, we must distinguish between prisons and jails. Jails are typically transitional, and hold people awaiting trial, or those convicted of a crime with a sentence of less than a year. Prisons, on the other hand, are more long-term, and hold inmates who are sentenced to anywhere between one year to life. Most of the following institutional problems discussed will pertain specifically to prisons, but by no means do jails exist without systematic issues.
Management of crime and punishment within prisons in Ohio is not up to the basic standards of living—even for basic needs of survival such as food. The state of Ohio currently has privatized the distribution of food in prisons by commissioning the responsibility to the food distributing giant Aramark Corporation. The effect of this decision has since led to plenty of issues surrounding food in prisons—namely, complaints about shortages and sub-quality food. Since Aramark began distributing food to Ohio prisons in 2013, numerous whistleblower Aramark employees reported being unable to supply an adequate amount of food to inmates, which has correlated with an increase of violence, riots and contraband. In the summer of 2014, numerous prisons around Ohio reported the presence of maggots and their larvae in prison meals, eventually leading to a protest of roughly 1,000 inmates at the Ohio Women’s Reformatory in Marysville. The way the state of Ohio rates the value of an inmate’s life can be clearly seen in the amount of money spent in a day to feed prisoners: just $3.71, versus the $8.12 it costs to feed the average American citizen.
Another barrier to basic means of survival is the critical state of overcrowding in Ohio prisons. In fact, according to a report done by the ACLU of Ohio, prisons within the state are currently functioning with 11,854 more inmates than they are designed to hold, with no real efforts made to combat the rising danger and cruelty that come with every extra inmate. The state of overcrowding in most prisons comes as a result of policies made in recent years regarding criminal sentencing—namely, criminal legislation within Ohio that adds new crimes, extends the incarceration periods of existing crimes, and enhancing the extent of which crimes apply to certain people and certain situations. Furthermore, in the past 20 years,
a significant increase in the prison population has been the result of incarcerating people who are awaiting trial and cannot afford their bail. These people have notably not been found guilty and, according to constitutional law, are assumed innocent until otherwise proven. In essence, Ohio has created a system in which people are placed in already overcrowded jails not because they are criminals, but because they are poor. The consequences of overcrowding can be life-threatening; it creates an environment in which there are not enough resources such as mattresses and food, building on the already dire shortage of nutritious meals. Furthermore, access to hygiene such as soap and sufficient time showering is scant in an overcrowded prison. The stress of being crammed into a small space with other people causes a sharp decrease in the mental health of inmates, and high tensions can lead to added danger for both staff and prisoners with an increased chance for violent outbursts—from both disgruntled inmates with physical force as their last and only bargaining chip and also from prison officers with low morale and limited control over the prison population outside of harmful techniques.
One of the harmful techniques commonly used as a method of punishment or control within prisons around the country (especially in Ohio) is solitary confinement. This method is defined as the extreme isolation of an inmate within a cell for 21 or more hours a day. Solitary confinement is often one of the first responses to all types of misbehavior, ranging from minor disturbances such as making too much noise, spanning all the way to major violations such as inciting violence. Perhaps most disturblingly, isolation in solitary confinement also tends to be the first response for inmates discovered attempting suicide. In light of this information, it isn’t surprising that the use of solitary confinement has severe consequences on both the psyche of a prison population, and how they regard their relationships with correctional officers and other prison staff. In fact, according to The Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, “Solitary confinement is recognized as difficult to withstand; indeed, psychological stressors such as isolation can be as clinically distressing as physical torture”. Solitary confinement can increase suicidal tendencies, and increase anxiety, irritability, and decreased impulse control. Since correctional facilities are already the nation’s largest provider of mental health care, that the first response to misbehavior is inflicting such intense mental stress on a population already extremely susceptible to mental health complications is simply irresponsible. In addition to the damage to mental health, physical consequences of solitary confinement can include weight loss and a lack of appetite—particularly dangerous for prisons in places such as Ohio, where the privatization of prison food means that inmates are already malnourished. As of yet, Ohio has taken no measures to regulate the use of solitary confinement, nor address the serious consequences of this method of punishment.
Finally, possibly the most egregious disregard for human life comes in the form of violence towards prisoners at the hands of correctional officers — the people meant to protect both the public from the inmates, and not insignificantly, protect the inmates themselves. Examples of this kind of abuse can be found uncomfortably close to home. Take, for example, the recent strings of lawsuits filed against the Cuyahoga County Jail on behalf of inmates’ claims of abuse. In September of 2019, a correctional officer was found innocent due to a partial mistrial on charges of interference of civil rights, abuse, falsification, and unlawful restraint. The court case details an encounter between the correctional officer and inmate Joshua Castleberry, in which Castleberry accused the officer of attacking him after he complained about a stale sandwich. The CO sustained light bruises and scratches on his head—the inmate, on the other hand, was left with a bruised face, a cut above his right eye, and three missing teeth (one of which was pushed up through his jaw into his nasal cavity).
Regardless of the guilt or innocence of the correctional officer, this case clearly demonstrates several details about the issues with the responsibilities and capabilities of prison staff. First and foremost is the sheer amount of influence correctional officers can have over determining the amount of value placed on the life of an inmate. In the case of Joshua Castleberry, the officer involved in the conflict immediately received medical attention, while Castleberry was restrained, put in a spit mask, and placed in solitary confinement for hours. Other correctional officers who were not involved in the conflict declined to let a nurse that arrived on scene examine Castleberry for three hours. After the incident, Castleberry claimed that the spit mask put him at risk of choking on his own blood. Clearly, correctional officers have a significant say in the health care provided, and this responsibility is often not met with the necessary tact. Furthermore, the incident demonstrates the unhealthy culture among prison staff that can arise in correctional facilities. For example, at one point in the trial, an officer who testified reported that his cooperation with the investigation had made other officers volatile towards him due to a “no snitch” culture. The officer in question claimed that because of this, he was afraid that the other officers would not have his back in a dangerous situation later down the line. This type of relationship between officers strongly decreases the security and stability of a prison environment and makes it more difficult to accurately investigate and unearth honest claims of mistreatment from inmates.
Before diving into the conditions the pandemic has inflicted on prisons, we must discuss one final topic: the disproportionate number of Black people incarcerated in Ohio prisons. Despite only representing about 12% of the population in Ohio, Black people constitute about 45% of the population in prisons. This is due to a plethora of reasons linked to the systematic incorporation of racism into American society. Black people are more likely to be stopped by police, more likely to be searched and arrested, more likely to be given a lengthy sentence, and more likely to be sentenced to death. Furthermore, prisons are more likely to be built in majority-white areas, meaning that most prison staff and correctional officers tend to be white. Because of these foundational aspects of how prisons function, the justice system puts Black Americans at an extreme disadvantage.
The problems discussed above are already bad enough to demand immediate changes to the way prisons and jails function. But with COVID cases hitting record-breaking numbers with each passing day, the situation has become dire. For some of the issues mentioned earlier, it is clear to see how it has played into the coronavirus’s rise in prisons—lack of proper nutrition means that prisoners have a weaker immune system (in addition to the fact that most inmates already have a sub-par immune systems due to either past drug use, physical impacts of mental illness, or other factors. Overcrowding means that it is impossible for inmates to
as a priority
socially distance properly. Facilities don’t have enough space, time, or resources to ensure that every prisoner has access to basic tools of hygiene such as showering, hand sanitizer, masks, and testing. Heightened tensions between correctional officers and inmates demonstrate how COs are not always willing to put the health and safety of inmates as a priority, and inmates may not trust or obey the restrictions put in place by prison staff to protect the health of everyone.
Additionally, Black Americans were already especially at risk of suffering from the coronavirus. Because Black people are more likely to have pr-existing conditions and live in multigenerational homes, while simultaneously being less likely to have health insurance, the African American community is consequentially three times more likely to get the coronavirus than their white counterparts, and twice as likely to die. Because of the fact that the prison population reflects a disproportionate amount of people of color, the coronavirus has yet another opportunity to prey on the unjustly exposed Black community. Furthermore, inherent bias in medicine means that if a Black individual—incarcerated or otherwise—reports feeling unwell or having medical complications, their condition is less likely to be believed or taken seriously than if a white person were to report the same symptoms.
If the state of prisons weren’t already bad enough with the conditions ripe for the coronavirus to run rampant, prison administrators’ responses have been nowhere near sufficient enough to curtail the most serious consequences. In fact, some of the responses have been actively harmful. Take, for example, the experience Jermane Scott reported having at the Mansfield Correctional Institution in July: after he began to feel sick, he reported being unable to breathe properly due to complications from his medical condition. Correctional officers reportedly mocked him with allusions to George Floyd’s last words as he was killed by police officers. When Scott’s COVID-19 test came back positive, he was placed in the decommissioned death row instead of being transported to a proper medical facility. The unit had little working electricity and ventilation. He was forced to stay there for 17 days. This is not unlike the practice that most prisons have incorporated today, in which some inmates are forced to quarantine in solitary confinement—which, regardless of its cruelty and negative health consequences, is meant to be reserved for punishment, not healthcare.
Some inmates within prisons have felt that conditions have become so bad that they are willing to speak about their experiences despite the possible consequences. Aaron Campbell, who is incarcerated in the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Elkton, Ohio, released a video on a contraband phone in which he claims that the facility is leaving inmates to die—he flips his camera, shows the tight, cramped cell he is in and says that his cellmate, who is laying down, is dying of COVID-19. Campbell says that he is filming the video to fight for reform. Since the video was released, FCI Elkton has denied that the two inmates in the video had the virus, and Campbell was placed in solitary confinement.
He was supposedly offered release from solitary confinement if he said the video was fake, which he refused to do. No reports concerning his status have come out since September, and he is assumed to still be in solitary confinement.
Inmates are inherently a hard group to be sympathetic for. Dismissing their plight is easy because they had done something unlawful in the past, and therefore, don’t deserve the time, money, and compassion that it would take to make the proper reforms. Regardless of this, conditions must change immediately because the system of justice for crime and punishment has been shattered. Regardless of their crimes, criminals are still guaranteed by the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution to not be subjected to cruel and unusual punishment. Is that not the current condition in prisons and jails? Certainly the presence of COVID-19 is unusual in every sense of the word. If you were subjected to the same circumstances as prisoners today, regardless of your guilt or innocence, wouldn’t you consider the treatment to be cruel?
But the need to fix the system goes far beyond the human rights of individuals inside the prisons. The consequences of prison mismanagement can trickle down to nearly every aspect of American life. For example, even though the situation in prisons seems particularly bad, it may be comforting to know that prisons are closed systems, and therefore the virus cannot reach the outside world. But this is not the case—inmates are being released from prisons, and correctional officers and other prison staff have little to no restrictions on where they are able to go outside of work hours, rendering them serious potential spreaders. This does not even take into consideration the fact that jails have a significantly higher flow of individuals in and out of the walls every day, despite having the same health and hazard conditions as prisons. This is a matter that affects everyone.
So what can you do to help? The first step is simple: talk to your friends and family about this issue. You can also consider researching your state and local representatives and writing them emails about what you would like to see done about the state of prisons and jails in regard to inmate treatment and the coronavirus. Research your local prisons and jails and send them emails too—you can start by demanding that they ensure inmates are entitled to free access to phone calls while they are unable to receive visits from their loved ones. You can also research different petitions online, such as this one, that can help alleviate some of the struggles prisoners are facing today. Finally, if you are able, plenty of organizations are looking for donations to help people who have not yet gone to trial, but are in prison because they cannot afford bail. The change starts with you. Any small step is a step forward.
An interview with CSU artist Alana Cartwright who specializes in photography.
WRITTEN BY
Agnes Bahr
PHOTOS BY Alana Cartwright
As social injustice, COVID-19, and the presidential election grip the attention of the United States, artists have begun to reflect these complexities in their work. I had the privilege to interview fellow CSU student, former teammate, and talented artist, Alana Cartwright. During the interview, we dove into her artistic process, what inspires her, and the message she conveys through her art. We discussed how the medium of art has a significant impact on the message expressed. Cartwright prefers photography over other mediums because she is able to objectively document life around her. This sense of documentation can be seen throughout her artwork, especially in the ways it relates to the recent protests concerning the racial infringements occurring nationwide.
THE START OF IT ALL
Just as each artist has a different style, artists have different points in their lives that turn them into artists. When I asked Cartwright about what experience inspired her to become an artist, her response was touching.
CARTWRIGHT: I started taking photos when I was about 14. My uncle died and we had no pictures, and you know when someone passes away you are trying to cling to all these memories, but memories become fuzzy over time. That’s when I realized I need to start documenting.
BAHR: How did that particular experience turn into what your art looks like now?
CARTWRIGHT: Since my goal was to document using photography, I took pictures of everything and that’s when I started seeing the beauty in the world around me. I try to incorporate that beauty and emotion in my photos now. Even though the pieces I work on are not always captured in real time, I believe it is still a form of documentation.
As Cartwright was describing this moment in her life, I felt that her experience with the death of her uncle and wanting to preserve his memory was familiar to most people. So often people find themselves having regrets after their loved ones are gone. Hearing that Alana was 14 years old when she made the connection between photography and the conservation of memories was incredible to me.
VISUAL STORYTELLING
Each artist has their own unique method of creating art. I was able to talk to Alana about how she approaches the construction of her art, including how she decides on the message she wants to construe.
BAHR: I know we talked about the moment that inspired you to take up photography, but what inspires your art now?
CARTWRIGHT: After taking photos of basically everything, I started to see the beauty in existence, of the world and the people inhabiting it, but what gets me inspired is manifesting the complexities of the human existence.
Understanding Alana’s fascination, let alone her ability to then create from that enchantment of “the human existence,” was incredibly alluring. Cartwright showed me specific pieces that she felt best represented her style and process.
BAHR: What is your favorite medium?
CARTWRIGHT: Drawing is more of something I enjoy when I have the time for it, but photography— being able to capture physical human existence and visual storytelling—is my bread and butter.
CHALLENGING THE CULTURE OF NUDITY
When looking at Cartwright’s art, the emphasis is on the nude human body. In a world that manipulates nudity to often fit a sexual context, her work does not have that sexual aspect. Cartwright’s art is alluring without objectifying the bodies in the photographs.
BAHR: Looking at your work, I can see you use the nude human body as the main element in each piece. Tell me more about why people and why nude?
CARTWRIGHT: For one thing, I love the human form. I got into documenting the human body, and doing so I was able to fall in love with my own form and
I could see the beauty that is the human body. I think that in the culture that is frankly porn-infested, the human body is so much more. It is your home, your temple.
Your body is your vessel that holds all of your experiences. You want to be comfortable in it. So, by depicting the human body as a masterpiece, as a work of art, I want more people to think of themselves in that exact way.
BAHR: Is that the goal? To show something beautiful in just the human body that isn’t sex-related? CARTWRIGHT: Of course. Your body shouldn’t be taboo. I really want my art to challenge people @a lanamcar twr ig ht about how comfortable they are to embrace the actual human form and seeing a body that way. I want to show people something deep because all of my work has something conceptually deeper. I’m using the body to express raw human emotion.
A nude body can be perceived in different ways, and, unfortunately, the culture that surrounds us equates nudity with sex. The cliché “sex sells” may be true, but Cartwright’s hope for her art is that people can get so much more out of viewing a nude body than just for the sake of sexual appeal. Each piece Cartwright creates using her nude models is meant to convey a kind of human emotion.
The way the artist poses her models, decides on an environment, chooses colors, and creates contrasts all impacts the kind of emotion that she wants the viewer to feel.
DOCUMENTATION
In the recent months of the year, more instances of social injustice have come to light. Social injustice has always been prevalent, but now more people are realizing and supporting those affected by the violations against African Americans.
CARTWRIGHT: I was able to go out and take pictures of the protests that were happening in Cleveland, and that was a really cool experience for me because my actual career aspirations in photography are to document real events.
BAHR: How does the current situation impact you in your art?
CARTWRIGHT: When it comes to art, I’m drawn to many different things outside of documenting the human body, which is what most people see in my art. I want to see all these different cultures and experiences and document real events going on right now and educate people. It’s this idea of visual storytelling.
BAHR: So being able to be there during the Black Lives Matter protests in Cleveland was probably a great opportunity then. Was your motivation to photograph the protests completely for your own portfolio?
CARTWRIGHT: No one asked me to photograph the protests. It was something I wanted to do on my own. For me, the protest and everything going on was a cool way to get in that element. I could document people in pain and document the beauty in pain.
I loved that Alana used the reference of being “in the trenches,” because as we talked, it was clear that the environment of the Cleveland protest was not exactly safe. Cartwright took several pictures being surrounded by people being held at gunpoint, people being pepper-sprayed, along with cars being set on fire. In our conversation, the civil rights movement was brought up. The way the pictures objectively capture the events that were happening still were able to exhibit the emotions felt by the people in the photos. Cartwright is on a mission to educate people.
Objective documentation and human emotion are two things one would believe should be kept separate, although, given context this is not the case. When documenting something objectively the author should strive to not insert their own feelings and opinions. Where objectiveness and emotions can be combined is when what is being documented is emotional. The situations Cartwright strives to document are those with raw human emotion.
FOR THE FUTURE
Alana talked about her work with such passion— hearing from someone who was pursuing her passions as a career was inspiring. She is aiming to make a difference with her talent and knowledge gained by not only attending Cleveland State University, but also experiencing the world. I was curious to learn Cartwright’s plans for the future because she seemed to have a well established sense of purpose.
BAHR: What’s next for you after your last semester of school?
CARTWRIGHT: I have another year of studying through Cleveland Institute of Art in the Baccalaureate program. I want to gain more knowledge and insight to help me use my art to better the lives of others.
BAHR: Do you have a plan on how you’ll use your art to help others?
CARTWRIGHT: For a long time, I thought my vocation would be to travel the world and expose myself to different cultures in different countries, different socioeconomic backgrounds, and document what was happening. I want to do some mission work at the same time by photographing for an organization like World Vision.
BAHR: Do you see yourself documenting the different people and places you come across, or will you use your experiences to influence your more abstract work revolving around the human body?
CARTWRIGHT: The goal is to change people’s lives for the better by documenting everything around us so we can learn. People who are struggling are not in hiding. They just have not been brought to the eyes of people who have the power to affect them. I want to raise the standard of living by documenting people who have far less than the luxury of a proper house.
According to Alana, her calling has always been rooted in using her art to strengthen others, whether by showing the inherent, raw beauty of the human body or by shining a much needed light on people in need of help. In the beginning of my interview with Alana she said, “The hope for humanity is to see people’s differences, acknowledge them, and talk about them. That’s what I want my art to inspire.” I love the way this statement captures her mission.
BAHR: What are you going to be spending most of your energy on these next few months as far as your art goes?
CARTWRIGHT: I’m going to be spending a lot of energy preparing for my upcoming shows. I take a good amount of time putting my pieces together so that everything presents well. If I’m going to put my name on something I want to be proud of it.
Cartwright’s upcoming events include a solo exhibition at the Massillon Museum which will be showing March 6–28. Further in the future, her work will be presented at the Galleries at CSU during the Merit Scholar Exhibition, which will be taking place during the spring of 2021. These exhibitions will be showcasing an abundance of Cartwright’s talent. The Parma Artspace and Gallery also may display the photographs taken by Cartwright during the Cleveland racial justice protests in the future.
Cartwright’s approach of photographing the human body to express emotion is an intense approach not only because of the stigma society places on nude bodies, and places emphasis on the fact that while we can change our clothes, we can’t change our bodies. Cartwright talked passionately about how our bodies are such genuine representations of who we are, not who we want others to think we are.
NURTURING
FOR ARTIST & WRITERS
WRITTEN BY
Gordon Ramsey
ILLUSTRATIONS BY
Jillian VanDyke
Falling into a creative rut isn’t as hopeless as it feels, and there are reasons it happens and methods you can use to climb out of it.
Aproblem many in the world of art you will start to get really into the writing, but then struggle with is their creativity. Writ- if your friend or roommate comes and talks to you, ers may encounter writer’s block or that interruption will set you back. When the other get distracted by their surroundings, person leaves and you go back to writing, you may preventing them from writing. Artists have completely lost track. may fall into a rut, dislike their ideas, or struggle to Sanderson also suggests carrying a small notebook formulate any ideas in the first place. Our creativi- for moments when you’re grocery shopping or going ty makes us human. Our struggles to express or dive to the library—essentially any time you are not close deeper into our own creative mindset is an issue to your usual writing journal. With this notebook on many have a hard time with, even if only once in a you at all times, whenever an amazing idea strikes, while. Some people will tell themselves that they just you will always be able to write it down and look back aren’t creative, but they are typically wrong. We do over it later. In my own experience as a writer, I have not often encounter many instances early in life that found that if I am struggling to articulate a thought necesitate creativity, so using it may not come nat- and save writing it for later, I forget it. If I conjure urally. For example, in school, art and creative writ- an idea for something and I don’t have a notebook ing classes are the ones that require students to dive on me, I type a brief, succinct note with the basics into their own minds and produce something unique. of the idea onto my phone. Even if I am home I will School boards don’t seem to find value in this—un- put it in the notebook for later when I am writing. like traditional math or English classes, in which Drawing and painting is an art form that has been students write essays that typically are uninspired. around for just as long writing. Sometimes we struggle Our creativity is not just what makes us human, but to find a muse—something for us to capture with our also unique to each other. Our imagination can create imagination and put to paper. In Courtney Jordan’s worlds where empires reign with magic, paintings article “8 Ways to Boost Your Creativity”, she discusses that make one look at the world a different way, and exercises and practices for artists who need a good games where one can explore facets of oneself. Peo- boost. One of her suggestions is to ignore the clock. ple can nurture their creativity and even increase it She says that watching the clock can add pressure. in many ways—from moments quietness to playing Pressure can be a good thing, but looking at the clock tabletop games with friends. often can do more harm than good; this pressure
Writers often struggle with the phenomenon of can make you feel exhausted and drain you of your writer’s block—they obstruct themselves from con- creativity. For a bit of adventure, she also suggests tinuing their pieces because they’re not perfect, or what she calls a “scavenger hunt.” If you’re a writer, they simply struggle to find the right words. In his write a single word at the top of a page and write first lecture of 2020, bestselling author and speaker for a short bit of time about what that word makes at Brigham Young University Brandon Sanderson you feel or just a few sentences with that word. For talks about the unique ability writers unknowingly artists, this can be a bit more adventurous: Simply have to “get in the zone.” For someone who writes write a short and simple list of ideas then go outside everyday for 4–5 hours, in the first two hours they’ll and find things on that list and draw them. This can write about 200 words an hour; but in the third hour, cause you to draw more stuff that you wouldn’t draw they’ll write about 1,000 words before going back normally as well as getting you outside. down to writing the average 200 words an hour. In These tips can be used in shape or form with almost his lecture, Sanderson suggests having a quiet place anything if you put your mind to it. And if you are to work on your writing. Whether it’s an office space looking for other ways to boost your creativity, you or bedroom, what is important is that you can be can find a plethora of resources, articles, websites, separated from other people. In this same manner, it and even games that can give you some helpful ideas. may help to let anyone you often talk to during certain times of the day know that they should do their best to refrain from talking to you when you want to be writing. He says this because interruptions are what set us back. For example, let’s say that you have spent an hour writing an essay. During the second hour,
