71. Creativity is resistance
An unexpected way to be the change you want to see in the world
2025 has been a bit of a rough one, eh?
There are many reasons why things are tough across the globe right now. But as an American living abroad and watching the rise of pretty naked fascism and oligarchical rule in my homeland, in talking to my American friends, family, and colleagues, in watching other people’s stories online, in having the perspective of getting news media outside the U.S. bubble about what’s going on, I’m often struck with the overwhelm of what to do. (Which is the Trump administration’s tactic, of course: flood us with outrage to the point of exhaustion so they can ride roughshod wherever they please.)
I can give money to places like the ACLU and Planned Parenthood, of course. I can organize with other Americans abroad to write letters and make phone calls. But what else can I, me, personally do in order to resist an authoritarian regime? And how can I make sure that I can do whatever it is for as long as possible?
You may have seen things floating around the internet about how self-care is resistance, or how joy in a marginalized community or in the face of adversity is considered a radical act.
Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.
-Audre Lorde
This concept is more than feel-good Instagram fluff. Because think about what authoritarian regimes want: submissive masses too stressed, too underresourced, too afraid, too resigned to organize and fight back. Too defeated to introduce friction. They want people who feel like they must be self-sufficient, or who are kept isolated, because community and connection lead to interdependence, sharing resources, sharing real information instead of propaganda, and taking collective action. Authoritarian regimes want to pretend—depend on pretending—that nonconformity and difference of identity and ideology don’t exist, because it’s ultimately demoralizing and squashes action. Kills hope.
In these contexts, taking care of yourself, being yourself, and finding ways to remain resilient, present, and engaged is resistance. When authoritarian administrations would pretend trans people are shameful perverts and criminals, being a visible, happy, vibrant, caring trans person with a big community is resistance. When these administrations would pretend that the only acceptable form of womanhood is one that follows traditional gender roles, prioritizing homemaking and childrearing, deference to men, and the upholding of patriarchal standards of beauty and behavior, simply being a woman who is a healthy, happy example of absolutely not fucking that is resistance.
We’ve written before that creativity is a form of self-care, so by the transitive property, it’s also a form of resistance. And the more I thought about that, the more obvious it became. Here’s why:
1. Creativity resists conformity
In a world that rewards predictability and efficiency over originality (because it’s much harder to sell shit otherwise!), choosing to create—especially in ways that challenge the status quo and raise differing, contrary opinions—is an act of defiance. Making and saying novel things disrupts the expectation that we must follow a predetermined path or do what’s expected.
2. Creativity resists capitalism’s productivity obsession
Much like self-care resists toxic productivity culture by prioritizing intentional actions at a healthy pace, creativity resists the idea that our worth is tied to output or monetization. Expressing ideas purely for the sake of exploration, play, or personal/communal meaning-making is radical in a world that is always asking, “bUt HoW dOeS tHiS sCaLe?” (It doesn’t have to, suckers!)
3. Creativity resists oppression by making the invisible visible
As in the Audre Lorde quote above, sometimes simply existing, simply representing something is a political act. Artists, writers, and creators of all kinds have long used their craft to expose injustice, reframe narratives, and give voice to the traditionally unheard or intentionally silenced. By creating and telling those stories, we challenge dominant perspectives, shine a light on problems a regime might not want you to consider, and invite empathy for those different from us.
We cannot “unsee” or “unknow” things. Once we see and know, it’s a lot harder for us to remain complacent or resigned.
4. Creativity resists fear and scarcity thinking
One of my “favorite” contradictions under late-stage capitalism is the simultaneous messaging that a) you gotta compete tooth and nail or somebody else (an immigrant! a diversity hire!) is gonna take your piece of the pie, while also insisting b) there is always infinite profit potential and value creation if we just let the free market do its thing! So which is it: Us vs. Them or a rising tide?
Fear and scarcity—whether personal (self-doubt, fear of failure, imposter syndrome) or systemic (censorship, exclusion, inequality)—keep people from expressing themselves because they believe there will be adverse personal or social consequences, or that something is predetermined to fail.
Choosing to create despite these barriers is an act of bravery that insists: There is room for me. My voice matters. I deserve to be here.
5. Creativity resists the idea that the future is fixed
Creativity is an inherently hopeful act. To make something new is to believe that new things are possible—that the world can be shaped, reimagined, rebuilt—and that new things, new ideas have value. It disrupts the fatalistic idea that things are the way they are and will always be. If we believe that, why act? Why try to change anything? (A very helpful sentiment for the voting populace to have while a bunch of narcissistic authoritarians unceremoniously dismantle government agencies, have their way with budgets and tax breaks, and basically put an end to the 230+ year American Experiment in free governance, huh?)
6. Creativity resists isolation by building connection, which builds community
This one is actually one of the most important. Whether through art, writing, music, or marketing, creativity is a way we communicate, find like-minded and like-valued folks and businesses, and build community. When division is often manufactured by those in power who benefit from sowing it, creative collaboration and bonding through shared appreciation of creative works become an act of resistance against separation and othering.
There’s a trend on TikTok I’ve seen where creators are sharing videos of people who voted in this authoritarian regime but are already seeing the negative impact in their lives and are shocked or upset: return-to-office mandates for federal workers, workplaces crippled by deportation or just the fear of it, realizations of exactly what more tariffs will do to the prices of many essential products, who is actually getting a tax break (spoiler alert, not them!), etc.
While there’s never one simple explanation for someone’s psychology and why they might vote against their own interests, these videos imply that a lack of empathy is certainly part of it. It’s easier to throw your vote to an authoritarian government when you believe that you will be unaffected. When you believe all the consequences will be borne by others, and those others are supposedly different from you in ways that someone on the TV or on a podcast said should matter.
When we build connection, when we break down silos and unite in community through collaboration and engagement and mutual appreciation of the same things, we develop empathy. Through empathy, we have a clearer view of exactly who is Us and who is Them.
Empathy is resistance, too.
In short, engaging in your creativity isn’t just self-expression, escapism, or frivolity; it’s an assertion of agency, a pushback against systems that stifle innovation, and a refusal to accept the world as it is. It’s an act of reclaiming space, leaning into possibility, and asserting power.
Over to you…
We would love to hear your take—how do you see creativity as resistance in your work or community?
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