Eat your veggies, make your art

Creation as a vital act of the human condition

Sarah Jane Baker in action

TW: this piece discusses suicide and transphobia

Words by Ava Raven

I have a friend who told me she hates when people say “everything is art.” This was after she asked me my favorite artist and I said the Earth and my recent favorite piece was a retainer I saw in the sewer drain.

She told me that art has to have meaning, purpose, thought, history. I understand that perspective, especially since she was an student at a prestigious art university. One part elitism, one part a need for boundaries. How can one study art if it is indescribable? What dictates good and bad art? What is the purpose of developing skill and technique?

I’ve always considered myself an artist. As a kid, I didn't fit into the ‘sports’ or ‘brains’ boxes and I could manage to create identifiable blobs, so artist it was. There were always better artists around me, ones who didn't have to claim that identity themselves, rather it was saddled upon them. Adults, beyond their parents, would hang their art, award it, or use it as an example. Maybe they did study a specific technique and they cultivated deep meaning behind their creations, or maybe they were just herded into the box of Artist earlier in life.

I have no qualms with this identity or the need to specify its boundaries, but I have noticed the unfortunate side effect of the inaccessibility to understanding the perimeters of an artist. Most of us who are confident in our expressions of art, and share them with others, have heard people express their complete inability to create. They have severed their experience from any possibility of creation. They have been told by themselves and others that they are not an artist, so they are therefore relegated to a life devoid of expression.

As I’ve grown, I’ve come to deepen my relationship to artistry. I'm interested in the colors and shapes that make up our life, and the different ways to describe them. Often communicating vocally will not come across as clearly as the emotion that can be drawn through illustrative writing. These tendencies, however, are not what gives me permission to create, nor do they evoke the same meaning as the defined “good artist.” Rather, they've served as a vital conduit of my inner worlds. These inner worlds are limitless, expansive, and queer as hell -their very existence is an act of rebellion.

When running the idea for this post past Jasper, they shared that their tarot practice had spoke of the same energy, sharing this affirmation. (Art by jasper Joy)

I have been allowed the privilege of expression and have been stretching towards the edges of where that brings me, yet there's a well of anxiety hovering over anything I dare to call art. These voices linger in my mind, “is it good? Is it worth sharing? Does it have value?” seeded in capitalistic beliefs, weaving worth and monetary value. These same voices build dams in one's creative center, killing the energy of rebellion and change before it is even born. Artistic expression is integral to being human. Whether that reveals itself in the way you move your body, how you create food, or perform any hobby of yours. Allowing this spirit to move through you need not be restrained by expensive material, purpose, or value.

Sarah Jane Baker’s original piece, hung in her home

Through conversations with one of my buddies about this topic (hi Bagsie!)I was pointed to the tremendous art of their friend, Sarah Jane Baker, and was lucky enough to chat with her. Sarah is a multimedia artist. She's currently focusing on performing on the violin, public speaking, and creating multiple activism inspired graffiti pieces on cars, though she is well known for the fiber arts she created while incarcerated. She is the UK’s longest serving transgender prisoner, and was determined to communicate just how queer prison is (You can purchase and read her book on this experience “Transgender behind prison walls”). She told me how she proudly acquired condoms and distributed them to fellow inmates. They didn't get them themselves for a variety of reasons, including privacy, so she made it her mission that folks could still practice safe sex with out needing to make it everyones business.

One of the pieces she created while incarcerated was “Prison Monopoly” which was crafted through scraps of clothing from her friends who ended their own lives whilst incarcerated. When I asked her about the energy imbued in this art, she said that to her these folks are still alive. She knew them and there is a piece of them living on through this act of creation, effectively performing a necromantic spell.

Prisonopoly By Sarah Jane Baker

Being unapologetically trans is just one part of Sarah’s life and activism. Sarah made it clear that what's important is the intersectional reality of all liberation movements, and her art constantly declares this. I wanted to know how she maintained this eternal flow of artistic resistance, and she said she surrounds herself with art that she finds beautiful and inspiring. Her walls are covered in Afghan war rugs, among other precious details, and her partner is an artist too. It’s worth mentioning that her pup, a jack russell named Bob, oversees her creations as well. Sarah also mentioned that any opportunity she gains, she looks for ways to include and uplift others. Maybe reserving a space in a gallery for another's art, or inviting them to speak when she is called in to share her experiences.

While I began this essay with the argument that we all need to allow our creativity to flow, and to not allow prestige be a barrier, this even deeper message arises. We must allow our lives to be filled with love and beauty, and share it widely. It is equally as vital as allowing love and beauty to radiate from us, especially during a time where we see trans art, and people, being eradicated.

Afghan war rugs hung on Sarah’s walls

While I hope my words encourage you to offer your body as a conduit for the holy expression of creativity, I am inclined to set the query of art’s definition aside. The magic that is existing uniquely and conjuring imagery through the potions of ink and twine, is just one manifestation of your love and beauty in action. Perhaps it is union and solidarity that set the body alive with purpose.

Sarah Jane Baker’s Car Graffiti

A reminder that my friend Batool is still accepting monetary donations here