Arts and Climate Change with Nicole Kelner

Share this post

Painting and protesting

www.artsandclimatechange.com

Discover more from Arts and Climate Change with Nicole Kelner

A place for communicating the complexities of climate crisis in a simple way that encourages hope and climate action
Over 3,000 subscribers
Continue reading
Sign in

Painting and protesting

I want to paint a future you simply cannot resist.

Nicole Kelner
Mar 22, 2023
7
Share this post

Painting and protesting

www.artsandclimatechange.com
6
Share

As I walked out from my gym after a calming swim, I was greeted by the loud drumming of an Extinction Rebellion protest. Their chants demanded people to stop using banks that fund fossil fuels projects. 

I thought to myself, this is a group of people who care about the same thing as me. I should follow them. But I couldn’t. I have never gone to a protest in my life. I get anxious in large crowds and am very sensitive to noise. 

So I continued my walk home. To my art desk. To my protest.

My protest looks like a 9x12 inch paper and watercolors instead of large posters and black markers. The soundtrack is lo-fi music instead of drums and chanting. It feels like a community on Twitter instead of folks on the street.

Instead of screaming about my fears on the street, I paint about the solutions I want to see in our world. I collaborate with companies who are making those visions reality. 

My protest is a quiet one. A peaceful one. It’s behind a keyboard and a paintbrush. I sit quietly and think about the quote that guides the work I do. “The role of the artist is to make the revolution irresistible” by Toni Cade Bambara. 

I want to paint a future you simply cannot resist. For it to be so beautiful you can imagine it. So that if enough of us start to see it, we believe it is possible. And then we can create it together

This newsletter is made with lots of love and creativity. If you’d like to support more climate art, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber ❤️

My question for you:

What does your protest look like? Shoot me an email, comment, or DM. I would love to hear.

Painting of the week:

Twitter avatar for @NicoleKelner
Nicole Kelner @NicoleKelner
Electric Grid Managed by Regional Interconnections
Image
4:49 PM ∙ Mar 20, 2023
450Likes70Retweets
7
Share this post

Painting and protesting

www.artsandclimatechange.com
6
Share
6 Comments
Share this discussion

Painting and protesting

www.artsandclimatechange.com
Larry Perez
Writes Noon at the Park
Mar 22Liked by Nicole Kelner

I love this post SOOOO much, Nicole...really resonates with me 🙌

My protest is solar panels on my roof, an attic full of insulation, a high-efficiency vehicle, a compost pile out back, and--like you--a bit of calm quiet in a world full of unbridled noise.

Expand full comment
Reply
Share
1 reply by Nicole Kelner
Ben Shwab Eidelson
Writes Climate Papa
Mar 22Liked by Nicole Kelner

Just got chills. Your writing and painting share a similar accessible, but beautiful style. Thank you for your protest Nicole!

Expand full comment
Reply
Share
1 reply by Nicole Kelner
4 more comments...
Top
New
Community

No posts

Ready for more?

© 2023 Nicole Kelner
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start WritingGet the app
Substack is the home for great writing