Alyssa

Greetings from Michigan, USA. As a socialist, it's hard to live here, because the majority of the population is very seriously misled by corporately-sponsored demagogues (Tucker Carlson, Steve Bannon, etc., I'm looking at you.) My fellow citizens needlessly suffer here, often being swayed to vote against their own interests without realizing it by expert propaganda. And now with AI, what's next? I'm pretty sure that my YouTube algorithm diagnosed me, correctly, with cPTSD.

The insides of our minds are the people's last bastion of privacy, and they're coming for our mental billboard space in order to sell us things, because this is late stage capitalism we are living under. Our leaders have worked to keep the discussion of class off the table, creating villains of the most disenfranchised persons in our society. It's a win-win for a couple thousand billionaires, and a loss for all of humanity and the planet earth.

I'm trying to figure out how not to lose my mind. Meanwhile it's beauty that soothes my soul.
I have always loved working with my hands. In my adult years I've been a watchmaker's apprentice, built electrical transformers, been a medical massage therapist, and I am currently attending art classes at the local community college, because I can't have children without fearing for their lives in this current political atmosphere.

Naturally I have made a study of propaganda. I am always looking for more figures from history to study who have swayed the masses with various strategies. It is natural to do this as an artist, and I hope that I can harness this power for the side of good. I don't think only the bad guys should get good advertisement.

The study of propaganda is vast. You can study all of history as a representation of it, as we all know the victors write the histories that are taught in schools to young children. To analyze our society, our ways of communicating, our ways of emoting in response to color, sound, etc.- it's truly fascinating for me.

Never forget: all marketing is propaganda. So in my artistic journey, what I'm hoping to do is find my voice with art to speak up against humanitarian tragedies- to make my own propaganda for the world. Maybe if enough of us light up the darkness, there is hope for us all yet.

I guess we'll see what it all looks like.