Where this pandemic will take us all next is always difficult to see. Who expected this second round of Covid19 in India would be so dangerous and heartbreaking. While everyone is doing their best under the circumstances, we can’t help but wonder what should have been done.
We can only work with what we have and with what others have already done. I ask myself, what can I give that will reduce suffering. Artists at our best give awareness and peace that help us to see, what next.
Contributing to organizations working in the heat of the pandemic is one good way. So is imagining a more fair and well-prepared human culture through art, writing, and ongoing learning.
I hope my students this semester feel well-prepared as we wrap up our courses. Art will take you places you never expected, that’s the one thing you can expect.
poet | artist 
It’s my belief that being and artist, creating the beauty that you do, is contributing to that better world you envision. There are few nobler pursuits.
-Erik
Thanks, Erik. Appreciate your words of encouragement. That’s pretty much exactly what I teach students.