shortstrawberries
•_•
11 posts
Latest Posts by shortstrawberries
the importance of art and safety.
(in this period of descent into fascism)
If you're a liberal/left-leaning person like me, you have been voraciously keeping up with local, provincial/state and federal politics, and with the world news, using all avenues available to you to try and make sense of the tumultuous time were living through. And thus, with each passing day, you've probably been inundated with the F-word more and more from the news/political commentators you follow, from the images attached in the articles you read, and the academics and journalists you trust. Fascism. With the recent ruling from the UK Supreme Court saying that the legal definition of a woman is solely going to be rooted in biology and seeing the jubilant celebration surrounding it, I can’t help but feel like we just took one more monumental step in the global death march towards fascism.
I’m scared and very worried.
Of course, this isn’t really about my own personal feelings of fear because overall, I will be quite alright. I’m a bisexual, leftist woman and arts and culture person living in Canada, in a dependably liberal-to-progressive riding and city. Yes, my country has a federal election coming up and there is a chance we might (strong emphasis on ‘might’) elect a right-wing reactionary buffoon of our own in the form of Pierre Poilievre, but center and left-of-center Canadians were given a hail Mary in the new liberal party leader Mark Carney, who’s performing better in the early polls everyday. So, we might not have to worry that much at all. Yes, the cost of living is still abysmal (as my friends and I keep saying: girl, the tariffs), and going through life’s very human struggles is still excruciating but ultimately, bearable. Spring, the best season, is well on its way and the days are getting longer and you see that your neighbour’s tulip bulbs are peaking out from the soil and you’re able to go home and give your cat a big kiss on the cheek as they reward you with an annoyed and disgruntled meow.
And so you feel emotionally regulated enough to then go on your daily news binge and find that another university student in the US got black-bagged for expressing pro-Palestine views, you see images of the destruction of Gaza and the concentration prison/camps in El Salvador, and then that the boomer British lady who authored the books that have been bringing so much joy and fulfillment to your art practice donated 70 000 euros to a feminist organization that was the plaintiff fighting to disenfranchise an already marginalized minority group. And you’re left feeling quite… dirty and doom-ridden and powerless while standing in the middle of the cushy imperial core.
Your cat who was annoyed you picked them up earlier has forgiven you now, though, and is headbutting you for some catnip.
But this isn’t about me, not in the slightest. I/we know how these things go. I’m not a history buff by any means (though I really want to be) but I have a basic enough understanding of world history to know we’re already in the throes of fascism: with the targeting and scapegoating of vulnerable minorities like the trans community or the complete hatred and want for disposal of migrants – I feel a deep and suffocating grief for my fellow comrades.
This pain, I believe, is all our duties as human beings with the gift and responsibility of empathy, to feel.
I’m also hyperaware that with the downward fall into fascism comes the defunding and eventual erasure and censorship of art. Now I’m not saying my art is worthy or important enough to be censored. But I am saying we need art; we need as much of it as there can be for our emotional needs which is imperative for our survival. I don’t mean to say this in a hyperproduction/hyper consuming way, of course, we just need human artists, humane art (whatever that means to you) now more than ever.
I’m a political person, and my leftist and feminist principles and values I think show up quite plainly in my work but again, I don’t think I’m making anything radical here – my art I think is just one small piece in a greater human need to make and experience art. Therefore, I’d be remiss to say it wasn’t important. I know my work is important in that I know it means something to people. This community here for instance, or on twitter/x, Instagram or tiktok, which I feel like the luckiest person alive to have somehow conjured, that means something to me, and I’d be glaringly obtuse if I didn’t acknowledge it. So, I sincerely want you to know my art exists not only as the physical manifestation of this vocation of mine, but also as a source of safety and comfort for your senses, if you need it to be.
As much as I want to be, I’m not an activist, I’m just an artist. And my art is the one (I hope) iron-clad thing I can give to the world and the beautiful, worthy of lives of dignity, people within it. Joy and comfort aren’t a solid political program on its own and I know art consumption alone is not going to lead us to liberation, self-determination and lives of dignity. But, my god, do we still need joy, comfort and safety in the form of art to get through each day.
To my nonbinary and trans friends and siblings, I am so, so fucking sorry powers greater than us are using you as pawns for political theatre, and that so many restless people are using you as political punching bags. The world we’re living through is incredibly unfair and unjust at the moment. Your pain is our pain, none of us are free until all of us are free. So, I want you to know that my little pictures and I are here, fighting alongside you.
I know Harry Potter, the IP and the storyworld with its characters, isn’t what’s causing our dissent into fascism. And I know, realistically, I’m not the devil’s spawn for still liking it, for making cute artwork of the titular main character’s best friends for its fandom. I can’t explain in words why I feel such an affinity to this story, this very entry-level story about fighting fascism, with its anti-social megalomaniac villain and its painfully liberal/reformist politics. My pull towards it is deep, abstract, and almost spiritual, and if I could succinctly put these feelings and magnetism into words, I probably wouldn’t be making this much art like my life depended on it. And the awful truth of it is, I’ve never been more artistically fulfilled. I’m so happy while making this work and my cup becomes fuller after each drawing, I selfishly don’t want to stop. Does that make me awful?
A lot of my peers, fellow fanartists, have been considering leaving the fandom altogether and it’s left me feeling a kind of panic because, quite frankly, I don’t want to. Not until the creative reserve (which is rooted in my love and other abstract feelings for the story) within me has run dry, which it hasn’t. And after I realized this, I felt a little ashamed that I wasn’t feeling what others are also feeling, but I think the knee-jerk reaction to leave and disavow this community because of the cartoonishly mean-spirited author (who ironically made this story about love, friendship and fighting fascism) also feels hasty and reactionary. I understand the impulse, I really do. I recognize I have a vested interest in saying this, but I sincerely think we need art now more than ever, if any of my peers are reading this: your art. Thoughtful art, art that is an exercise in empathy. I’m also saying this because I feel a deep sense of responsibility to my friends (majority of whom are also queer and trans) I’ve made through our shared love of this story, to fellow fans and the people I’ve been privileged enough to have touched with my art.
This discomfort of still harboring love for this flawed but ultimately lovable and beloved story during this time of political unrest and chaos, and continuing to express my love for it by creating artwork for it… is something I will just have to live with until it’s run its course. I don’t think this is a righteous grief by any means – I think the mundanity of it is what’s making it especially annoying.
Quivering in the face of good art is I think one of the best feelings in the world, and though I sincerely believe the HP story to be good and adequate in its political and class commentary, this squirming isn’t exactly that. I’m immensely (and selfishly) resentful to JKR for being the mean-spirited bully/troll that she is, not only do I wish she weren’t a right-wing reactionary, I wish her tomfoolery didn’t make me squirm uncomfortably (the word I’m looking for here is ‘cringe’) while still genuinely enjoying this work. Nonetheless, I’m confident in my ability to engage with this story intelligently and I hope to continue to share my thoughts and love for this narrative through posts and meta/cultural analyses and many, many drawings of Ron and Hermione kissing. I am also steadfast in my political convictions, which are so much older than the just-over-a-year-old love I have for these books. My political convictions which have always been and will always continue to be pro-trans, feminist, anticapitalist and grounded in my love and empathy for people.
I don’t have all the answers to how and why we are so drawn to certain stories and characters and tribes (because fandom in a fundamental way acts like a tribe), and why we so profoundly need to keep making and keep experiencing art. Or how to even best live with the contradictions that exist within and outside of us. I’m just a young artist, still in the infancy of my career in many ways, but something in my bones is telling me this is important work, and I should keep doing it – with all its squirming discomfort, and its wonderful, beautiful fulfillment.
Again, we are living through incredibly difficult times, but we must make it through, and we will. I will keep making work that I hope is thoughtful and politically principled, and I hope you’re able to find some joy and comfort in them as I do while making them.
- nus :)
EYES ON VENEZUELA
VENEZUELA NEEDS YOUR HELP. READ. REBLOG. EDUCATE. HELP. A lot of things are happening in the world right now. But one thing I don't see receiving enough attention right now is the situation in Venezuela. Nicolás Maduro has just won the Venezuelan election with 51.21% of votes compared with 44.2% going towards his rival Edmundo González Urrutia. Except THIS IS NOT THE CASE. Undeniable election fraud has taken place - anyone within Venezuela knows that Maduro is a ruthless dictator and he was an extremely unpopular candidate. Maduro's victory does not reflect the will of Venezuelan voters. Venezuelan people are getting kidnapped and killed by the military on the streets. And this is just the beginning of Maduro's rule. I am not from Venezuela, but read the messages of friends that are as the situation unfolded.
Venezuela are on the brink of civil war, being cut off from the world, and are being killed on the streets. One of the people you just read messages from urged me to send this message:
WHAT YOU CAN DO: - Spread the word. Educate others. Reblog this post. Do research. If anyone can provide additional context and stories, please share. Talk about this on any social media platform you have. I am primarily a Sonic fandom account - I urge that if anyone with a sizeable following in this fandom reads this post, that they please share this in front of their followers. Please ensure this post spreads through the fandom ecosystems. Below is a link to a Twitter post that has artists in the replies that are from Venezuela, if you wish to give any of them financial support:
Thank you.
No.6 Musical Announced For November 2024 In Japan
Weaving two destinies together through music
Musical "NO.6" Scheduled to be performed in Tokyo and Osaka in November 2024!
The near-future sci-fi, dystopian novel "NO.6" by Asano Atsuko will be depicted as a musical filled with beautiful music.
X/Twitter
These are all actual conversations I had with @mohammedayesh . In fact, while I was working on finishing this comic today, he sent me a video of bomber planes flying above them. There is not a single place in Gaza that is safe.
BUT YOU CAN HELP BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE
Please support Mohammed if you can by donating to his campaign or his PayPal below. He is less than €3000 away from his goal of €15,000. If you cannot donate, then please share. Let’s bring him hope that he can evacuate safely!! <3
mods and cc are always replaceable. i'd also like to add that sims4me fixes a lot of the bugs that littlemssams mods fix as well since she's now outed herself as a nasty zionist
As I recently got the news that my country is in shambles due to mass jailbreak and violence…here are some links to help the country of Haiti…
Help Marc Henry and his family in Haiti
Please help this woman bury her mother in Haiti
Help Haitian refugee father return to home
Help this Haitian family of 3
Help rebuilt this home destroyed by the 2021 earthquake
Help this refugee Haitian family
Help repair this home in Haiti
Help this family escape Haiti
Help this separated family
Help repair this shelter for refugees
Help provide Haitian migrants food
Please help this family bring Anthony’s body to the US
Help rescue Rose’s brother
Help this family
Help this family escape
Help feed this school of children
Donate to Hope for Haiti
In the meantime, don't forget to also help the people of Palestine
reminder that donating just a few $ to gofundme campaigns actually helps, you don't have to donate huge amounts if you don't have the funds, every little bit is useful. give $10, $5, even $1. it all adds up. don't scroll past because you think you can't help. help in your own capacity. donate a dollar. share and speak up.
Verified Palestinian gofundme’s Masterlist
Rightfully so, I have gotten messages worrying if everything I post is legit (I try my best to make sure the answer is yes), but here’s a masterlist of ones that one or more people have confirmed are legit Palestinians. Most are from the blogs @el-shab-hussein, @ibtisams, @palestinecharitycommissionsassoc ,@90-ghost, @nabulsi and @palipunk
I will also be making individual posts for most of these
Help Khaled and his family escape Gaza
Help lara and abdalla Family to be safe in Gaza
Emergency: Help Ibrahim's Family Find Safety - $50 is 500kr
HELP Ezzideen & his Family to EVACUATE Gaza
Your help is the only hope to save us from war.
Hope : Help Little Elen Fetch a brighter Future
Help Aseel’s family evacuate from Gaza.
EMERGENCY: HELP evacuate Bashar from Gaza
Help Mohammad Hammad evacuate his family from Gaza
Help Madleen's Family From Gaza
Help Jehad Evacute From Gaza
Help a med student & his family evacuate to safety
Help Fadi's Family Rebuild Their Life Amidst Crisis
Help Us Safely Evacuate a family from Gaza
Help child with Cerebral Palsy evacuate
Protect an open source engineer and his family
Help Bring Ayah’s Family in Gaza to Safety
Call to Action: Keep Gazas Talent Alive
Help Belal and His Family Escape the War in Gaza
Urgent Rescue Mission for the Mortaja Family
Save my family from the war in Gaza
Urgent: Help Evacuate My Family From Gaza War
Urgent help to evacuate my family out of Gaza
Help evacuate Safi’s family from Gaza in warfare
emergency : Help Support the Khalaf Family in Gaza
Help AbdulAziz and his family
Help Yousef escape Gaza and treat his cancer
Help my family rebuild home und evacuate Gaza
Please Help Me Evacuate My Children To Safety
Escape From War Nightmare: Support Gazan Family
Help my family in Gaza
Salaam Animal Care, find a safe home for animals
URGENT HELP help my family to evacuate Gaza
Help me & my Family Evacuate from Gaza
Urgent Appeal for Support: Help a Photographer
Help Jana's Family Find Refuge and Peace
Help me to save my family from the war in Gaza
Help evacuate my brother and his family from Gaza
Urgent apeal to help Elzomar family leave Gaza immediately
Help my mum to travel to a safe place
Help Afnan to find safety and to complete her education
Support getting Linda and her family out of Gaza
Support Mohammed and His Family Affected by the Gaza War
Help Ala's Family Overcome Crisis in Gaza
Freedom and home repair for Aesha an family
Help us evacuate and rebuild what's left of our lives
Help Tamer and his Family in Gaza!
Help my family escape death and reunite with me.
Help me and my family escape the Genocide in Gaza
Help rebuild Ahmed's family life in Gaza .
Emergency : Saving My Mother and only brother From War Zone
Rescue Mahmoud's Family: A Call to Escape Gaza's Devastation
Help Mohammed & His Family To Safety
Help Almoghrabi family to evacuate Gaza strip
Urgent Appeal: Help Save Ruba & Muhammad in Gaza!
Urgent help to evacuate my family from Gaza
Help Alia's family and their children get out of Gaza
Urgent Appeal: Save Little Yusuf and His Family Amidst Gaza
Support My Family Escape War in Gaza
Help me get my family out to safety
Help my family out of Gaza
Help me get my family out to safety
Help my children and family from the Gaza war !!
Please Help Evacuate Fadi's Family from Gaza
URGENT: Help Hayam and her Family Escape the Genocide
For what remained in us من أجل ما تبقى فينا
Please Help Restore The Sharifs home & Help Leave A War Zone
Help Shymaa's Family Reunite in Egypt
Help Mahmoud’s family evacuate from Gaza
Donate to help Deyaa and his family escape Gaza
Fatima’s Journey to Restore Artistry in Gaza
My family under fire, help them evacuate Gaza.
Help me to evacuate from the genocide
Help Mahmoud to evacuate from Gaza to continue education
Help my family evacuate from Gaza
Help Sana’a and her family evacuate from Gaza
Haytham needs your help to support his family
Help my family survive and evacuate from Gaza
Help me rebuild a shelter for my family in Rafah
HelpYoussef and his family get out of Gaza for a better life
Let my family be safe and live in peace!
Relief Appeal: Secure Evacuation from Gaza War
Please Help Tahani save her children and husband
Urgent Help Appeal: exit the war of Gaza"
Help My Family Get Out Of Gaza
Vegetables, food, and water for Palestinian families
HELP Muhammad evacuate his family out of GAZA
Secure a Safe Future for Youssef’s Family - Act now
Support My Journey to a New Start
Help Shymaa's Family Reunite in Egypt
Help Me and my Family to evacuate from Gaza ASAP
Saving My Family from the Horrors of War in Gaza
Help the Allahawani family escape genocide
URGENT - Help Azzam evacuate his family from Gaza
help my children get out of gaza safely
Emergency: Help Evacuate My Family from Gaza
Help Safaa secure her children‘s lives after war
Help Kareem get his family from Gaza to safety
Help Karim and his family get to a safe place
The people of Gaza are asking for YOUR help today. Here are some VETTED campaigns you should donate to and share widely.
(may 23rd):
Help Almoghrabi family to evacuate Gaza strip (@amjad20011) - Amjad needs to evacuate with his wife and his son, who isn't even 3 years old.
Support Ruba's family's urgent evacuation (@rubashaban) - Ruba's family are lacking the basic necessities of life; she has an elderly father who desperately needs to be evacuated.
Save little Yusuf and his family (@ahmednabubake) - Yusuf is in an intensive care unit fighting for his life in Gaza; he needs urgent evacuation alongside his family.
Help Belal and his family to evacuate from Gaza (@alaajshaat) - Belal has lost too much to this war and needs to support himself and his family.
Help Ahmed's family evacuate (@malkzaeem) - Ahmed needs to save his wife, 4 children, and severely injured father.
Help Ezzideen Shehab and his family evacuate (@helpezzideen) - Ezzideen, a young doctor, and his parents, siblings, and young brother Mazen urgently need to evacuate.
Help Iman’s family find safety (@imaneyad) - Iman has a family of 7 who need to find safety.
Support three orphaned children and their mother (@abedbahlool) - TW Graphic image. Asmaa is a mother of three and lost her husband due to the aggression.
Help save Bassam and his family (@lailashaqoura) - Bassam has five young children and has already lost 9 members of his wife's family.
Save Firas' family (@prosolitudeeee) - Firas is a of two children, a 10-month-old boy and a two-year-old girl, who are in need of safe haven in Egypt.
Help Hani's family evacuate (@skatehani) - A Palestinian skater trying to evacuate 10 members of his family.
Help Omar evacuate (@omarsobhi) - Omar is a 20 year old Palestinian student who wants to save himself and his family from this genocide.
Help Tahseen and his family (@tahseenmush) - Tahseen and his family are from northern Gaza and need urgent help to survive this genocide.
Help Nader's family to evacuate from Gaza (@nadershoshaa) - Nader and his family, consisting of six members, are currently displaced in the south; help them evacuate and survive.
Marah needs to save her family (@marahsalem) - Marah is trying to get reunited with her family, which consists of 5 members who need to urgently evacuate.
Help Mahmoud's family evacuate (@mahmoud0qassas) - Mahmoud and his family need to get to Egypt. His brother in law needs medical attention ASAP.
Yosof's family needs to evacuate (@yosofzaeem) - Yosof’s family needs to evacuate urgently; member of their family needs medical attention.
This list is supposed to call you to action. Please do not scroll past without contributing. Choose at least one fundraiser to support today. $5 can save lives. If you cannot donate, share these campaigns.
Looking for more campaigns?
