Colony Little, Culture Shock Art

Yesterday’s post on Radio Imagination at the Armory Center for the Arts focused on one artist’s creative interpretation of Octavia Butler’s famous novels, Kindred.  The show also featured digital snapshots of Butler’s papers currently cataloged at the Huntington Library in Pasadena.  Manuscripts, character sketches, childhood stories, and journal entries all provide us with an expositive look into Butler’s creative process including the emotional challenges the author faced in pursuit of her love of writing.  This was probably the most illuminating aspect of the show because it also gave viewers a glimpse into the 8 artists’ creative process as they sifted through Butler’s catalog to find inspiration for the 6 works they created for the show.

What stood out to me, especially during this first week of 2017 as I’m setting personal and professional goals for the new year is how Octavia Butler used positive affirmations as guiding principles that navigated her life.

These affirmations manifested themselves in her life.  In many ways, Butler’s work serves as a prescient look at society today, and her creative practice is a testament to the power of intention.  Today I’m cracking open my copy of the Parable of the Sower to read how the imaginary worlds that Octavia created in her novels shed light on the one we are living in today.