Art and activism are connected. Music, theatre, poetry, novels, sculptures and paintings can galvanize an activist movement. Art can distill complicated issues, rendering them more understandable.

But living as an artist calls for being free to pursue one's own path - which does not have to be political. An artist's responsibility is to her work and creativity. Frustrated by carbon state demands for a capitalist career, working hard to avoid internalization of social media falsehoods, artists make important political statements simply by expressing their freedom through art.

Some works of art are overtly political, others may affect us in more mysterious ways.  A work of art can serve its purpose independent of the creator's sense of social responsibility. A piece not intended to carry social consequences may end up being an anthem for a revolutionary cause. Perhaps all art has political implications, even if the creators are unaware of the social consequences of their work.

Creativity is not limited to a few genius’s. While the carbon state works to compartmentalize us, creativity is a fundamental aspect of our being. We are all artists, be it through friendship, work, talking, or organizing.

The Artivism arena of Parallel Polis 2030 has two objectives. First, it encourages artists to be more sensitive to the impact of ecological overshoot, and the harm caused by the carbon state's stumbling path into fascism.  Second, it encourages activists to be as creative as possible in all that they do.

Pablo Picasso, Normal Rockwell, Andy Warhol, and Käthe Kollwitz expressed themselves through drawings and paintings with very different styles. They lived as artists in very different ways. But each, in their own unique form of artistic freedom, connected art with activism.