Creating in the Rubble: A Love Letter to the Ones Who Still Try

This is for the ones making magic with empty pockets and broken sleep. For the artists, builders, and visionaries forced to hustle instead of heal. If you’re still creating in a world that’s trying to silence you—you’re the threat. You’re the blueprint. You’re the revolution.

Let’s get something straight:
Creativity is not optional.
It’s not just for the elite. It’s not just for gallery walls or curated feeds. It’s not a luxury.
For so many of us—especially Black and Brown folks—it’s a lifeline. A way to breathe. A way to reclaim. A way to rise.

If You Grew Up Hearing “Be Realistic” Instead of “Be Revolutionary”… This is for You.

You were told to keep your head down.
To pick the safe job.
To be “practical.”
To survive.

But survival isn’t just about bills and benefits. It’s about expression. It’s about truth-telling. It’s about honoring the wild, brilliant, buried voice inside of you.

If you’ve felt disconnected lately… that’s not failure. That’s your creative self suffocating under the weight of expectations you never asked for.

And you’re not alone.

Creativity for Black and Brown Folks Is a Radical Act

We are the culture.
We’re the trendsetters, the tastemakers, the blueprint.
And yet we’re so often the ones discouraged from exploring art, dance, music, storytelling, crafting, building, dreaming, imagining—because our worth was reduced to labor, not creation.

But every time we pick up a pen, paintbrush, camera, mic, or mouse—we reclaim space.

We heal generations.

We rewrite the script.

Here’s the Real: Creativity Is Work—But It’s Sacred Work.

Creating takes time, energy, and intention.
It’s not always glamorous. It’s not always convenient.
It’s a task—but one that gives back.

Even as I write this, I had to carve out the time. I had to choose creativity over comfort. Over scrolling. Over surviving.

And that’s what I want you to do, too. One minute. One sketch. One sentence. One bold step at a time.

Ready to Unearth Your Buried Dream?

Drop it in the comments.
Say it out loud.
Whisper it to your reflection if that’s all you can manage right now.

You deserve to bring it back to life.

🔥 CTA: What dream did you bury to “be realistic”? Comment it below—let’s dig it up together.
Use the hashtag #CreativityIsSurvival and tag someone else who needs to hear this.

Resources for BIPOC Creatives: Spaces, Grants, and Support

🖤 Black Art Futures Fund – Funding & amplifying small Black arts organizations.

🧠 The Creative Independent – Interviews & guides on building a creative life (includes stories from BIPOC artists).

🎨 We Need Diverse Books Grants – For emerging writers and illustrators of color.

🏠 All My Relations Podcast – Indigenous perspectives on creativity, land, and story.

📚 BIPOC Writing and Art Spaces Directory – A growing list of collectives, programs, and retreats for writers and artists of color.

💡 Afropunk's Creative Exchange – A platform for radical Black creatives to share ideas and projects.

Final Thought:

If you’re breathing, you’re worthy of making.
If you’re dreaming, you’re worthy of doing.
And if you’ve ever been made to feel like art, voice, or imagination wasn’t “for you”—this is your sign to reclaim it.

Create like your life depends on it. Because it does.