Art in the Time of Coronavirus

Athens, Greece

“To the extent that I managed to translate the emotions into images- that is to say, to find the images which were concealed in the emotions- I was inwardly calmed and reassured.  Had I left those images hidden in the emotions, I might have been torn to pieces by them.” – C.G. Jung

One of the most intriguing findings in my Ph.D. dissertation was the critical role that street artists played in dealing with the trauma of the Greek Economic crisis.  I had the pleasure of getting in touch with a number of them to ask for copyright permission to use their images.  It seems that they used their art to express the emotions of the people as they were trying to cope with one of the most difficult times in their modern history.  They captured feelings of desperation at the high unemployment rates and the lack of hope in any sort of future.  Their images also captured anger at their government and the EU for not taking enough action to help the people.  They also used humor to try to find any sort of funny side in the situation.  In contrast, some of the art also captured hope for their future.

In our current coronavirus crisis, we are also experiencing many heightened emotions- fear, anger, panic, hysteria, and grief to name just a few.  Emotions are such a rich part of the human experience and are also important to taking appropriate action, particularly in times of crisis.  Had it not been for fear and frustration, the leaders and the people may not have done the right things to try to stem the tide of the virus.  

However, it’s also easy to get overwhelmed with emotions and to let them drive our behavior into less productive ways- such as hysteria causing people to panic buy up all of the toilet paper, or perhaps excessive fear driving racist or self-serving behaviors.  As a parent, I realize that it is important for me to show my concern about our current situation to my children, but also to keep it from turning into a freefall of fear, which could cause more harm to my children than the situation itself.

Right now, for me, the most palpable feeling is that of grief. I feel great sadness for those who have lost their lives and for those who are suffering and, from all of the predictions, for those who are yet to suffer.  I feel for all of those people who go to their jobs during this time, putting themselves at risk.  I also feel for all of those who’ve had weddings and graduations canceled as they are important rituals for our soul lives.

I’m also very aware that we most likely have lost life as we know it.  Similar to 9/11, our lives will not be the same after the dust settles.  However, that does not mean that life has to be worse.  It seems that this experience may take us back to appreciating some of the basics that we often take for granted, such as time together with our loved ones, going out for a great meal, and having the freedom to go to the beach or to travel. Healthy optimism for our future is important right now, as is engaging with the imagination.

I’m not talking about unproductive fantasy which leads to illusion and denial of the realities around us.  Rather, the imagination can help us to deal with the crisis that we are in, as well as, help us to begin thinking about how we’d like life to be post-corona. 

Engaging with the imagination through art of any kind helps to make sense of what is happening around us.  As Jung talks about in the above quote, working with art and images helps us to access and process the emotions that we are feeling.  Art keeps us from being torn apart by our emotions.

My daughter and her boyfriend decided to pull out their paintbrushes and paint while they are staying at home.  I would, but mine are packed away in a storage locker, so my choice of art is to write.  My son’s is to create new technology.  My husband’s is to cook. For others, it might be drawing or rearranging their home. Creating memes and posting jokes are also forms of art.  I so appreciate these artforms that provide some light relief.  I’m also grateful for all of the film and TV artists whose work on Netflix, Hulu, and the rest, is helping many of us cope.  And for the museums who are giving us access to their art online.

It seems that one of the best things that we can do right now, along with social distancing and washing our hands, is to imagine and create, which allow us to reveal emotions that might otherwise tear us apart.  And to imagine ourselves into a new world as our old one seems to be leaving us.