I get annoyed when anyone says “Stick to [insert profession here]” anytime an individual speaks on anything deamed “political.” It annoys me because it suggests that any given profession is removed from the world at large. It suggests that their profession can exist in isolation. It suggests that their profession is experienced in a vacuum. Here’s a reality check: that’s not how it works.
To suggest that a musician should “stick to music” is to suggest that their music has no contemporary relevance of influence. To suggest that an artist should “stick to art” is to suggest that their work—both in creation and promotion—exists outside the realm of culture. To suggest that an athlete should “stick to sports” is to suggest that they’re no more than a pawn in your world of entertainment and competition.
Even more damaging, it suggests that politics too can be removed from our everyday lives. It suggests that everyone has the same privilege to shrug off current events and political discourse for the sake of their own comfort. It suggests that politics—the underlying foundation of our society’s functions—are simply to be observed and not engaged with.
To suggest that anyone should “stick to their profession” is to strip them of their humanity.
Other things:
Earlier this week, National Geographic published their Breaking2 documentary in partnership with Nike which follows three of the world’s most elite distance runners as they set out to break the two-hour marathon barrier. You can watch that here (55 min) and if you’re interested you can also check out the video essay (12 min) I made earlier this year.
Charles Bradley passed away yesterday, and I’ve cried numerous times listening to his music since I heard of the tragic news. And here I am, yet again, crying as I listen to his Why Is It So Hard performance. If you haven’t listened to Charles Bradley, please do. I’d also recommend watching this Changes performance.
Yesterday I started an “official” twitter thread to share process shots of Auction. Check out the most recent tweet to see Auction Heavy’s lowercase.
Earlier today I posted this sketch on Instagram to let people know I was going to be recording a process video of vectoring it in Glyphs. I made the video, but exporting the video is taking ages. I was hoping to get it in today’s newsletter, but that’s not the case. I’ll send out another email once it’s ready.