She measured the countless hours of dedicated painting on the walls.
He was sweating, but cheerful under a bright sun.
He was weary, but inspired under cloudy skies.
It was her job to shield him and his work from the vagaries of nature.
At times, she held the lights at night because a deadline was looming.
She measures it all today, as she pays the lawyer with his hard-earned money.
An artist has been accused of treason because some idiots smelt rebellion in the paint.
Neither can they mix colours, nor hold a brush.
But they do hold a whip.
Creative Experiments and More 
Ah, to be an artist… what angst, eh?
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Especially when you take a stand on something.
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She once measured time in brushstrokes and light, guarding his work from weather and wear. Nights were spent holding lamps, mornings chasing deadlines that never felt like burdens. Today, she counts differently fees, signatures, silence while the lawyer takes payment from the life he built. The accusation of treason hangs absurdly over colour and canvas, spoken by those who have never known creation. They cannot mix paint, yet they decide its meaning with certainty and force. And as she watches it all settle into injustice, she understands: the most dangerous thing an artist can do is see the world too clearly.
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Bang on.
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Good story on ongoing attempts to extinguish creatives.
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Unfortunately, it is happening everywhere. Writers are killed or persecuted, and nobody is ever arrested.
A Booker prize winner divorced her husband and transferred property in her name, because she fears the state can make life difficult for her family.
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Great write Reena – ‘smelt rebellion in the paint’ – a fantastic, visceral image of the paranoia of authoritarian regimes who find subversion in abstract beauty, and the contrast between the brush and the whip is a perfect, devastating final note 🙌
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Thank you so much, Ange!
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🩷
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wow – the last line was strong and powerful – and this “An artist has been accused of treason because some idiots smelt rebellion in the paint.” – deep stuff and well written
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Thank you so much!
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🙂
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Art can definitely be an expression of rebellion.
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Writing sure is.
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I think we’re on the same path this week, Reena.
Deftly crafted piece.
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Thank you! Will look up yours.
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