I believe that I am part of and a conduit for the creativity that is always flowing around us.

I believe I was created to create.

I believe it makes a difference in this world to honor my creativity.

I believe that my creative impulse is inexhaustible.

I believe art is a revolutionary act, rejecting the narrative of apathy, white supremacy, and scarcity.

I joyfully swear I will allow myself and others to fail joyfully and maintain a sense of humor about the ridiculousness and sacredness of the human experience.

I joyfully swear to make art; bad art, weird art, art I don’t understand. To sit in the chair or take the stage and make the art.

I joyfully swear to accept my role as a teacher. To cheer and support others on their artistic journeys.

I will treat myself as a creation and not a problem to be solved.

I will treat myself and my body with hydration, healthy food, dancing, sleep, tenderness, coddling, spoiling, treats, and rest.

I will love the body I live in, not merely tolerate it or wish it were different.

I will say yes when I am enthusiastic and no when I feel drained; listening to my gut.

I will advocate for myself and protect my artist self always.

I will say yes to the offers as they are and not as I wish they were.

I will name myself as an artist and make choices for my life that honor that identity.

I will make space for myself and others to expand into our creative selves.

I will not limit my life as an artist to a certain number of years, monetary threshold to hit, or approval from those around me.

I will do as Jack Gilbert commands in his poem, “A brief for the Defense,” and have the stubbornness to accept my gladness in the ruthless furnace of this world.

I will leave space

I will sit for the same lesson as many times as it takes to learn it with no judgement on myself or my abilities.

I will allow myself an entire lifetime to figure out what it is I’m trying to say.

I will laugh at my own jokes.

*I will forgive myself a million times over.

Proclaimed this 18th day of April 2022.

Saramate Carmer McMahon

From “An Ode to ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’” by David Gate