We Make the World: Guided Aesthetics Practices for Art, Power, and Healing

Summary

A transformative guide featuring unique practices to harness creativity as a tool for healing, justice, and liberation from visionary artist, activist, and New York Times bestselling author Patrisse Cullors.

How do we imagine our way toward a better world? From the clothes we wear to the architecture that surrounds us, aesthetics—the way we perceive and create meaning through beauty and art—can be a powerful tool for healing, justice, and liberation.

Structured around themes like memory, care, ritual, embodiment, and imagination, We Make the World helps us reimagine our creative practices as acts of care and resistance. Through case studies spotlighting artists like Lauren Halsey and Ana Mendieta, hands-on exercises, and practical examples, it empowers readers to use creativity to challenge oppressive systems, nurture connection, and build sustainable futures. Each chapter features:

• A spotlight on one artist’s vision and methods,
• analysis of how their work shaped the world, and
• a creative prompt you can try alone or with your community to apply this artistic practice yourself.

Whether you’re an artist seeking new ways to express yourself, an activist craving creative tools to connect with your community, or someone yearning to experience firsthand how beauty creates justice, We Make the World is a portal to the world as we dream it.

Cover photo shot by Altadena-based artist Kenturah Davis.