Humanity maintains a longstanding relationship with art—specifically, art conceived from struggle and pain.
When faced with turmoil, some of history’s most celebrated creators—Beethoven, Kahlo and Hemingway among them—embraced the creative arts to gain perspective, peace and relief. And in a nod to art’s transformative power, such imaginative outpourings have prompted inspiration, introspection or, in the greatest of examples, thoughtful change among audiences.
Today, Spartans carry on this tradition of using the creative process to fuel themselves and others.
A young poet, staring down her own mortality, examines gender and faith, igniting empathy and compassion for those battling illness.
A screenwriter, informed by horrid courtroom cases of abuse, compels us to understand the plight of foster children.
A podcaster, recognizing the anxiety-ridden perils of the COVID-19 pandemic, pushes us to believe in ourselves and cultivate growth.