# Art heals us from despair Toni Morrison says, > This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal. I know the world is bruised and bleeding, and though it is important not to ignore its pain, it is also critical to refuse to succumb to its malevolence. Like failure, chaos contains information that can lead to knowledge—even wisdom. Like art.[^1] [[Art nourishes us]]. ![[The logic of despair isn't for me —James Baldwin]] ![[The purpose of being a serious writer is to keep people from despair]] ![[Cynicism masquerades as wisdom]] ![[Cynicism is the greatest barrier to love]] ![[Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable —Cesar Cruz]] [^1]: [[Keep Going]] pg. 199