{"id":1929052,"date":"2026-05-11T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-10T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1929052"},"modified":"2026-05-11T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-05-10T21:00:00","slug":"creative-thought-is-essential-a-letter-from-our-editor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1929052","title":{"rendered":"Creative Thought Is Essential: A Letter from Our Editor"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content prose-colossal max-w-none\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull is-style-default entry-header is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-6c531013 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"colo-post-featured-image wp-block-post-featured-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2163\" height=\"2648\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Art_Class_by_Caroline_Durieux.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"a drawing of children in a figure drawing class\" style=\"object-fit:cover\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Caroline Durieux, \u201cArt Class\u201d (1932)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group post-title is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0bc941e6 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h1 class=\"alignfull wp-block-post-title\">Creative Thought Is Essential: A Letter from Our Editor<\/h1>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-meta is-layout-flex wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-05-11T06:00:00-05:00\">May 11, 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<div class=\"taxonomy-category wp-block-post-terms\"><a class=\"category-colossal-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/colossal-2\/\" rel=\"tag\">Colossal<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/author\/jandres\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"wp-block-post-author-name__link\">Jackie Andres<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-share-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-6c531013 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing has-visible-labels has-icon-color is-style-logos-only is-layout-flex wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-is-layout-flex\">\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-facebook has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2026%2F05%2Fcreative-thought-is-essential-colossal-membership%2F&amp;title=Creative%20Thought%20Is%20Essential%3A%20A%20Letter%20from%20Our%20Editor\" aria-label=\"Share\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tShare\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-mail has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#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\" aria-label=\"Email\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tEmail\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><button class=\"simplefavorite-button preset\" data-postid=\"473592\" data-siteid=\"1\" data-groupid=\"1\" data-favoritecount=\"0\"><i class=\"sf-icon-bookmark\"><\/i>Bookmark<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Dear readers,<\/p>\n<p>In a collection of her published diary entries, Virgina Woolf wrote, \u201cThinking is my fighting.\u201d This sentiment was a prominent theme in her 1940 essay, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.literaturecambridge.co.uk\/news\/vw-air-raid-1940\"><em>Thoughts on Peace In an Air Raid<\/em><\/a>, in which the British writer framed the importance of individual thought as a crucial antidote to war and the rise of fascism.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve been thinking a lot about Woolf\u2019s quote and its relevance today, largely connected to discourse on education. While literacy rates in the U.S. <a href=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2025\/09\/whats-driving-decline-in-u-s-literacy-rates\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">continue to plummet<\/a>, a soaring number of individuals are adopting habits antithetical to thinking\u2014offloading even the smallest of cognitive tasks onto Chat GPT, doomscrolling for hours on social media, and numbing the mind with addictive \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/04\/06\/magazine\/ai-apocalypse-brain-rot-memes.html?unlocked_article_code=1.bFA.DawS.Y79r7nDMci8a&amp;smid=url-share\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">brain rot<\/a>.\u201d Critical thinking is being traded for passive acceptance and the death of curiosity\u2014all in the name of efficiency and capital innovation. Our minds have become the new commodity.<\/p>\n<p>In response to this, I\u2019ve seen a clear cultural shift toward self-education. I, too, have been influenced by this new wave of autodidactic learning\u2014<a href=\"https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/2025\/09\/13\/us\/personal-curriculum-tiktok-cec\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">personal curriculums<\/a>, digital detoxes, reading challenges, etc. While these are certainly more examples of internet trends worming their way into our algorithms, beneath them lies something deeper: <strong>a collective desire to reclaim our own thoughts<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, access to quality information and educational materials can be hard to find, whether those resources are locked behind the gates of inflated tuition costs, class fees, or online paywalls. For Colossal, accessibility has always been an ongoing commitment. Over the last 15 years and counting, every article, interview, and instructional aid on our site has remained completely free. <strong>Our team believes that <strong>the ability to learn about and enjoy art must be universally available.<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\">\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve been using Colossal as my go-to source of art on the internet since 2012 when I was in high school. It\u2019s been a pleasure watching it grow and keep up with the breadth and depth of the work being done in the art world.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><cite>Jake F.<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n<p>For years, members of this community have made us aware of how beneficial Colossal has been in their learning journeys. Educators of all ages have shared that they\u2019ve introduced the website to their students, crafting complete lesson plans from our articles and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/glossary\/\">glossary of art terms<\/a>. I encountered Colossal for the first time in a classroom, and in another life where I taught elementary students art, it remained one of my most reliable tools.<\/p>\n<p>Out of the classroom, learning persists, and we\u2019ve been elated to hear many stories about how our daily doses of art allow readers to uncover something new everyday, gain more knowledge about contemporary art, and discover impactful stories that bring about change, connection, and hope.<\/p>\n<p>Now more than ever, creative thought must be nurtured, protected, and free from barriers. Our mission to do this can only continue with you. <strong>Today, only 1% of Colossal readers financially support the work we do.<\/strong> Like many independent publications, our members are the cornerstone of our existence and ability to continue sharing art with the world.<\/p>\n<p>We encourage you to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/members\/\">join the Colossal community<\/a>. Now is the time to spread creative ideas, revive curiosity, and defend the ability to think and learn imaginatively.<\/p>\n<p>And as we celebrate teacher appreciation this month, we\u2019d like to highlight our deeply discounted <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/members\/\">education membership<\/a>, available to current students and educators (just <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#aec3cbc3cccbdcddc6c7deeecdc1c2c1ddddcfc280cfdcda\">shoot as a quick email<\/a> and we\u2019ll get you set up). Thank you for reading, sharing, and learning with us.<\/p>\n<p>Gratefully,<br \/>Jackie Andres<br \/>Online editor, Colossal<\/p>\n<aside class=\"after-entry\" role=\"complementary\" aria-label=\"After Entry\">\n<section id=\"block-16\" class=\"widget widget_block widget_text\">\n<p><mark style=\"background-color:#88caf0\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>Do stories and artists like this matter to you?<\/strong><\/mark> Become a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/members\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"118516\">Colossal Member<\/a> now, and support independent arts publishing.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"block-17\" class=\"widget widget_block\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top member-benefits is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Hide advertising<\/li>\n<li>Save your favorite articles<\/li>\n<li>Get 15% off in the <a href=\"https:\/\/colossal.shop\/\">Colossal Shop<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Receive members-only newsletter<\/li>\n<li>Give 1% for art supplies in K-12 classrooms<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top member-options is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fe9cc265 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Join us today!<\/h3>\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-horizontal is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-crow-color has-verdigris-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/colossal.memberful.com\/checkout?plan=113464\">$7\/month<\/a><\/div>\n<div 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href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2026\/05\/hilary-pecis-love-letters-paintings\/\" rel=\"prev\">Next article<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/nav><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Caroline Durieux, \u201cArt Class\u201d (1932) Creative Thought Is Essential: A Letter from Our Editor May 11, 2026 Colossal Jackie Andres Share Email Bookmark Dear readers, In a collection of her published diary entries, Virgina Woolf wrote, \u201cThinking is my fighting.\u201d This sentiment was a prominent theme in her 1940 essay, Thoughts on Peace In an [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,270],"class_list":["post-1929052","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-thisiscolossal-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1929052","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1929052"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1929052\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1929052"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1929052"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1929052"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}