These days, when many complain of boredom and a dire need to get out of the house, my eyes fill with line, form, and color. Scratchboard drawing and silk painting, story writing and photography. How could anyone claim of going stir crazy? Is this not an artist’s dream? The collective mantra of humanity standing in solidarity: stay home. You bet, I respond, I can stay home.

Another internal voice reminds me, however, that human-to-human interaction is the only reason I’ve been able to make a living as an artist. Teaching and relationships are the very foundation of my income—they make the dream sustainable. These times will test our adaptability. Even a short period of shutdown will pose a challenge to unsalaried and gig economy workers. We are experiencing a shift, and though no doubt we will, in the long run, gain important insights from this juncture, at other moments it may also be painful.

I wonder and worry about the education of children who don’t have technology, for arts professionals, small businesses, and for the elderly. For the extroverted personalities who find their means of joy suddenly and significantly diminished.

Yet we are resilient creatures. We will adjust and strength of spirit become our most valuable asset. If unity and solidarity are the essence of our time, then undoubtedly many humans will arise in support of one another.  They already are and it emboldens my heart. The outpouring of generosity and resourcefulness—free self-education resources made available on the internet, free Wi-Fi and laptops for students, the rock with a painted red heart left in my front yard by a child in the neighborhood—give me hope. I like to think humanity—as a globe, as one people—stands at the border of its adolescent and adult years, and a growth spurt in maturity is upon us. We’ve spent so long thinking of ourselves as individuals or separate segments, and the pandemic proves this is no longer possible. Every human heart, every action, every movement is woven together across the planet in a network of connections. This global health crisis challenges us to live, with growing justice and compassion, in full realization of our oneness.

With all these thoughts like birds in my mind, some ominous as owls and others hopeful as the busy hummingbird, I leave here a few things that might provide a moment of comfort and solace to hearts. These are, at present, the only things I know how to do: write, paint, make music, and pray. And if at times you feel so inclined, I ask you to share your own gems with the wider world. In a letter, in an email, on social media. Your art, your careful and tender thoughts, your kind actions in service to others. You must know how much difference it makes.

Flute songs for meditation and healing

  Poems of beauty from a 2nd grade classroom:

Moonlight
By Romaldo

The moonlight makes the night sky shine.
The moonlight makes me smile.
The moonlight makes me sleep.
The moonlight wakes me up when it is bright.
The moonlight makes my bedroom look beautiful.
The moonlight reminds me of an orange.

Blue Jay
By George and Marcos
When I play outside
I see a blue jay
The blue jay is feeding her babies
Like a kiss
What will happen to the blue jay?

The Bee Life
By Juan
The bee is yellow like
a broccoli flower and the bee is black
like a midnight sky

Weather
By Liliana
The weather is cold.
No time to play.
And all is dark.
No more sunlight.
No children playing in the yard.
No voice in the neighbors.
The rain is hard and the thunder is very hard.
You see people with no homes to stay in.
But you wish the sun will come.
You see people looking out of the windows. You had a dream that all will come light but is not show. You see more and more rain coming to you. And you finally see sun coming and you see children playing in the yards and you hear voices saying do you want to play with me today?

Saraiya Kanning is a creative writer and visual artist with an interest in wildlife and ecology. As an educator, she seeks to inspire students with joy and curiosity for art making. She often highlights the intersection of art and science in her workshops and enjoys facilitating writing exercises that celebrate Sonoran Desert ecology. Kanning holds an MFA in fiction writing from the University of Arizona. She teaches drawing and painting at The Drawing Studio and in her home studio. You can view her visual art at raebirdcreations.com.