Feeling Broken?
Searching for Something Good
So much seems upside down and inside out.
I’d love to sage the sh*t outta our country, smudging away bad energy.
Or visit a magical place devoted to renewal and resilience.
A place like Philadelphia’s Magic Garden (PMG), an immersive mixed-media art environment featuring mosaics by Isaiah Zagar.
The backstory: the artist began creating mosaics as therapy during a mental health crisis.
Smashing tiles, plates, mirrors, then repurposing the broken bits into art on derelict buildings on Philly’s South Street. Zagar’s work transformed both him and his neighborhood.
Consider the photo below from Philadelphia’s Magic Garden which depicts a tan ear-like blob imprinted with the word “Magic.”
What’s it mean?
The mosaics invite us to pause, to consider, to rethink, to step back from the minutiae, to appreciate what makes it and us whole.
Zagar’s murals inspired my recent flash story “Broken” which describes a narrator wondering how to proceed after a storm damages their home, leaving them paralyzed by personal loss.
Arguably, the house could represent our country, implying that we must determine how to pick ourselves up as we view the purposeful destruction of our country’s institutions.
We too can create, like Zagar did, as a means to survive this collective mess.
Whether we produce words, collages, meals, music, or mosaics, the act of generating something original is an act of defiance.
The magic is within us; it ignites when we share, working together. My hope is to inspire others to search for meaningful ways to create and connect, so we can pick up the broken pieces, rebuild and heal both ourselves and our communities.
Magic. Brokenness. Creative expression. I agree, we each need to reach out in our own creative ways to transform what feels dark and fractured. I'm always amazed when on a flight on a rainy day, rising above the clouds to find a clear and vibrant sky with blazing light as far as I can see. It was there all the time. It is there all the time. It takes courage and strength to rise above a dark, threatening and turbulent sky. I believe creative light helps us "lift off" so we may better break thru and see it. We can be that light for ourselves and for others. The collective voices of those who seek and question understand that there is a better world right now -- albeit not quite within our sight. Shine on, Liz. Shine on.
I am so inspired by this piece and the hope it offers me. I have to acknowledge that I love the Magic Garden but it hadn’t occurred to me to use it as a metaphor for how to envision healing our communities and our country. Thank you!