Art > Performative BS: Rebel Yell Creative newsletter (Jan 16, 2026)
- Amy Lee Lillard
- Jan 16
- 3 min read
Art > Performative Social Media
Monday is the annual day of performative bullshit on social media.
Every year, people post about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr as a hero, a leader, an icon. All true, of course. But the posts can often seem tone-deaf at best, hypocritical at worst. Like Republican lawmakers praising King, then gutting our social systems and supporting repression. Super cool.
Over at Block Chicago, they're offering the kind of commemoration we need for King and others: 18 Ways To Celebrate MLK Day With Art And Activism In Chicago.
I lived in Chicago for many years, and always love when the city brings the strong artistic community to the forefront. Even if you're not in Chicago, this can inspire, and encourage you to look for local examples 🔥
Looking for more ways art can be used as activism? And avoid the trap of social media one-and-done's? Listen or revisit the stories on The Art of Resistance podcast. Season 2 premiered this week with a story of “Strange Fruit” and Billie Holiday.
Creative captured
Dunno about you, but I've tried again and again to create some kind of journal habit. And invariably, it's abandoned pretty quickly. I love getting the notebooks, and I love the idea of capturing ideas…but somehow it just doesn't work for me.
So I'm excited about this new approach: The Artist Diary from Ten Minute Artist.
There's five posts here that walk you through how to create a notebook / sketchbook / idea collection tool / daily journal.
I'm trying it out. Maybe you will too : )
Read more at Artist Diary Day 1.
Getting unstuck
When we're struggling to create because the world is on fire, it's tough to see a way forward.
Reality check: It's really fucking hard right now.
We practice empathy as creators. We think deep and critically. We think about the world and what it means. But in tyrannical times, those in power actively target empathy. They seek to root it out and crush it. From ridicule to harrassment to detention, the goal: Make people shut their eyes and silence their hearts.
Productivity on the other hand? Grinding away? Slaying all day? That helps them. Our culture of work work work ignores rigged systems. It says we alone are responsible for our success or failure. If we just work hard enough, we can find safety and success.
In terrible times, in cultures like ours, art is important. It’s resistance, and our way of fighting back. But it’s also our way of taking care of ourselves. Of staying sane. And connecting in restorative and empowering ways.
So let’s reset. Subscribe to the Rebel Yell Creative newsletter for ideas and tips. And read the full series of ideas and tips, starting with 6 Questions to Get Unstuck.
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