Rest and Resistance
Sometimes life gets busy, confidence ebbs and flows, or some obstacle presents itself; it happens to all of us. I’m writing this in the midst of a (small!) period in life where I’m busy, I don’t exactly feel at the top of my game, and worrying that maybe I am not doing enough as a climate activist. I’m not the only person who has felt this way, maybe you are right now, maybe you did last week or last month. This entry is for us. Consider it partially self-catharsis and partially a motivational message for all of us readers.
The Field Guide has covered the importance of the small actions and small projects that we designers do in previous entries and some of that will be revisited here. Additionally, I’ve shared from the writings of both Sarah Jacquette Ray and Eric Holthaus before, and they too will make an appearance in this entry with some advice that I’ve had to draw on over the last couple of weeks. Remember also, that none of us can change the world alone; luckily, none of us are alone in this crisis.
Rest is okay
Before anything else is said, I want to make it clear that taking time for yourself—to heal, to mourn, to recharge, whatever it is—isn’t just okay, it is a necessary part of activism. Ray, in her book A Field Guide to Climate Anxiety, writes, “To burn out trying to resist a system that is fueled by burning things out is not resistance.”¹ Every one of us will get tired or distracted or disheartened at some point in our journeys as activist citizens and designers; after all, if what we are fighting for was easy to achieve, we wouldn’t have to be so, well, active. Burnout though may lead to cynicism, despair, or even a desire to abandon the cause.
We can allow ourselves to rest by building communities with dedicated people that are also ready to do the work. Knowing that we aren't alone gives us the strength to let go of the reins when necessary and recuperate. Sometimes, our emphasis needs to be on our day jobs or our families; focusing on the future at the expense of the present isn't without its own costs—to our minds and bodies, and to the minds and bodies of those that need us to be present. So rest up!
If you absolutely feel the need to still "act" while resting, then while on your time off, amplify the voices of others. Retweet artwork and ideas. Read a new book and take notes. Watch a documentary. It is absolutely okay to enjoy friends and family and the good things that come from being present and in the moment, but reminding yourself of the other people doing good work can help you relax as well.
Recalibrating what activism looks like
The next thing to do is to change our preconceived ideas about what activism is. Sometimes, simply getting up and going to work is a radical form of activism and, sometimes, not working is as well. Affordable and renewable packaging is needed to ship and store products, and as designers, we do that; but some products like fossil fuels, for example, need to be phased out and we need to stop designing the marketing materials necessary to sell them. Design is about communication; it is about telling a user or consumer the information they need to make a purchase or choose a product and as designers who are aware of the stakes, we need to feel empowered to communicate those stakes to the public. If that doesn't sound like typical activism to you, you'd be correct, but it still sounds like activism, doesn't it?
Supporting others as they act is activism as well. Not everyone can be at the front of the pack all of the time. We all have moments where we need to be taken care of, especially in those moments when we are putting ourselves on the line to help others. Bringing pro-choice protesters water on a hot day is activism, reminding your friend who has been designing websites with resources for LGBTQ+ advocates to get up, take a walk and enjoy the outdoors is activism. Enabling those who, at the moment, can be at the front of the pack to lead, is activism. It isn't a lesser form of activism, it is just as important—it may be less glamorous, but that is our fault for fetishizing the big, flashy leadership roles. Remember that “burning…out is not resistance.” Trying to do everything all the time isn't a heroic goal. The problems we face are too big for each of us to go at them individually. Accept support. Offer it. Rest. We need you rested up, not at the end of your rope.
Activism also looks like making sure that everyone can participate. Eric Holthaus tells us in The Future Earth that, "the biggest climate lie is that individual action is the only answer—that's a recipe for burnout and continued disaster. Individual action is only useful when it helps bend society toward radical change. And the only way to create lasting change is to work toward a future in which everyone matters."² Can your wheelchair-bound friends and neighbors join your climate action parade? If not, why not? Can your immunocompromised compatriots march on city hall with you? Climate change will affect every single person and that means that our protests can and should enable every single person to join in. Wear masks. Bring water. Push wheelchairs. Don't leave anyone behind. Write, innovate, design posters, champion ideas, read books, interview your neighbors, and make sure that if a group of people is in harm's way that they have what they need to lead the charge for the change they need.
Measuring success
“How can we measure our success by something other than capitalist-defined qualities, like our deliverables or our quarterly returns or our ‘happiness’?" Ray writes. "How do we shift attention from the outcomes toward the process? Certainly, outcomes are important—feeling efficacious can help us to stay in the game—but overemphasis on results can lead people to abandon it. The dangers of frenzied resistance outweigh the benefits.”³ The big goal is to save the planet and to make it a more equitable place for our descendants. That doesn't mean that at the end of every march is a new piece of legislation, and that doesn't need to be the end that we seek. Changing people's minds is activism. We, as designers, change people's minds every day! The well-designed local political campaign gets people in line at the polls. The clearly communicated results of that campaign, successful or not, lays the foundation that people can build on for change elsewhere.
When nature is most successful, even death and decay lead to new life in a self-perpetuating system. In the fight for a livable planet, our failures provide the fuel for further action just as much as every new law, regulation, climate pledge, or corporate investment in renewable energy and human equity. Don't let failure—or success—define the way that you perform your activism. Failure can lead to further action just as often as success can lead to complacency. Right and wrong, life and death, 1.5°C or 2°C; these dictate our urgency and they demand our efforts. Whether we want to be or not, we are all in this together. It is that connection that should be our impetus to climate action. It is that reality that should allow us to trust in the communities that we have built to know that they have our backs when we need to sit back and recharge. It is community, like the Climate Designers community, for example, that gives me peace of mind when I have to step away to take care of myself. It is that community that spurs me to get back out and keep going, especially as it seems like the world is falling apart. I'm proud to be in this struggle with you and for you. Rest up and I'll see you out there.
So, call-to-action time
How does this entry make you feel? Is there any other advice that you might give to activists dealing with burnout or confidence issues? Does it help you feel like it is okay to rest and collect yourself as necessary?
Take care of yourselves, and while you’re at it, head over to the Climate Designers community space on Mighty Networks and let us know what you think.
¹A Field Guide to Climate Anxiety, pg. 41
²The Future Earth, pg. 23
³A Field Guide to Climate Anxiety, pg. 42
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This entry was written by
Matt McGillvray
Matt is a designer and illustrator living near Portland, Maine, and has been working for more than a decade doing branding, illustration, web design, print design, social media posts, and even a little SEO.
When not designing he’s usually reading, writing, or running. His current big writing project is a book about design and climate change. He is a chronic teller of puns and will not apologize for that.