Jamie Bautista (JB): I think when an artist or creative wishes
to channel a disturbance into something that is constructive,
they are informed partly by their own take on what has caused
the disturbance and why it is disturbing to them, but also party by
what they think society or the community needs to offset the negative
effects of the disturbance.
It’s a balancing act between the artist's expression of their experience
with the disturbance and a positive outcome for the audience
or the community. Because it isn’t always the same thing. For example,
an artist can feel angered by something happening in society, but
if the solution to the disturbance requires art that is more welcoming
and anger only alienates those who can make a difference, the art cannot
be angry in its tone or message.
I believe the way an artist feels about a disturbing issue should be
the catalyst for creating the art and the wind of inspiration that
keeps them going. But the craft of the art itself, because there is a clear
outcome or goal to be achieved, should be informed more by what will
actually solve the problem that causes the disturbance.
In the case of our book Triggered, the issue of EJK of course disturbed,
frightened, and disgusted both me and my writing mentee, Kat. But we
both knew that simply writing stories that were explicitly anti-EJK
and that expressed our feelings would not cause those who may find
EJKs acceptable or even necessary to change their minds. In a democracy
where we have to elect leaders who influence these things, changing minds
is crucial. So we both worked to create stories that tried to see things
from the perspective of those on the other side of the argument,
so that it would show we were open-minded and listening and readers
from that side would find a common ground with us. But part of the craft
of the story is finding a way to show them our side of the argument,
using not just logic and facts, but with empathetic characters and
situations. Then maybe they will see our point-of-view and try to work
with us to stop EJK, or at least try to offset the harm it has already caused.
Art is about creating an emotional response in others. So for me, this type of
art needs to be informed by what emotions will get an audience to work
towards an outcome that counters the disturbance. That means going beyond
using art simply as a means of self-expression, of personal catharsis, and of
reinforcing those who already agree with us. Those help keep us going and
should be part of the process, but the final goal should be other-oriented if
it’s meant to benefit society or the community.
