LOVE (verb): An Act of Will

5”x7”

2021

This is an original handmade and hand printed linocut print created for “Love: An Art Exhibit” at Mt. Airy Art Garage. 

In her book All About Love, author and activist bell hooks writes, “The word 'love' is most often defined as a noun, yet we would all love better if we used it as a verb.” She goes on to say that love is an act of will, a choice, both an intention and an action. This piece demonstrates love as movement: transformative and revolutionary. It is an intensification of life. Like a dance, it is powerful, strong, and resilient, as well as tender, soft, and compassionate. The dancer is exposed and vulnerable, yet leaning into risk. Like dance, love is grueling and hard work, with many hours of practice, tears, sweat, and pain. It has to be made and remade. It involves shadows, conflict, disagreement, acknowledgement, and accountability. Yet it is also beautiful, full of care, affection, celebration, and light. Deep and honest love requires work, but the reward is great. This year has called us to lean in, to do the individual and collective work of transformation, to cultivate love even in the hardest of spaces in order to make a more just and equitable society for all. None of us are free until all of us are free, so it’s time to start learning how to love better.