by Karry Schwettmann

Am I meant to be an activist? That’s the question I asked myself last year after an intense summer of environmental campaigning in Berlin. 

The first time I first-hand encountered activism was when I moved to Berlin a couple years ago. I was in search of a purpose in my life, questioned my career choices, learned about sustainability and what we can do to fight the climate crisis. As it all came together that time, I turned my life upside-down, left the company I worked for, co-founded my own and decided to become an environmental activist. 

It was all new and exciting. The possibilities of doing were endless. 2018, I attended Al Gore’s Climate Reality Leadership Program and found a tribe to connect with. We soon launched a new initiative, a monthly climate vigil in front of the Brandenburg Gate and later, I joined Extinction Rebellion, an environmental movement with the aim of using nonviolent civil disobedience to enforce government action to avoid ecological collapse.

Immersing into a new world, the answer to the question that time was “hell yes, I am meant to be an activist!”. I finally understood the concept of taking action, being my own boss on the one side and leading campaigns with a community on the other side. It felt great. I started with a blank canvas and was ready to paint the picture I wanted to create from within. 

Truth also is… I was overwhelmed by the colors available. Co-organize campaigns? Check. Work out a new initiative? Check. Hold speeches and events? Check. All the while building up a new business? Of course! 

In the beginning, I felt confident juggling all those things at the same time. But by the end of that summer, that feeling dissolved. I decided to take a pause and look back. I wasn’t impressed by the results, doing too much and therefore, nothing properly. What looked good on paper, was actually a compromise of breadth over depth. Feeling like a total defeat, I started looking for answers through reflecting and reading. Doubts surfaced and I wondered if I’m really that activist.

WHO IS THAT ACTIVIST ANYWAY?

Is my inner voice really that strong? How is it possible that I’m feeling so drained while my activist peers are doing so much more? Who is that activist anyway?

When something feels “off”, it’s time to listen closely. Especially when examining your purpose, because it’s a strong feeling that can guide your action to a level that is not representative of your strengths. Now I know it was wrong to impose onto myself a picture of an activist that neither mirrored my personality nor my actual strengths.  

Back to the initial question. I think the time we are going through right now tells us a lot.

Facing lockdown restrictions during the global Covid-19 pandemic, we see activism going digital. We see digital climate strikes, hologram protests, light banners, single protesting and many more. It’s inspiring to see activists all over the world are getting creative, turning crisis into opportunity and showing that activism is not limited to creating banners and taking to the streets together.

ACTIVISM HAS ITS QUIETER SIDES

It shows that activism has it’s “quieter” sides which doesn’t mean it’s less powerful. This is an important observation because we tend to construe activism in particular as engaging in vigorous campaigning and speaking out loudly. That’s what the media likes to reflect - hundreds of thousands of people attending big climate strikes, the heartfelt speeches of activists and the eye-catching, direct action campaigns on the verge of lawfulness. That’s why, I thought, as an activist I had to do all of this. 

THERE’S NOT JUST ONE TYPE OF ACTIVIST

After that summer, I found a different way, my way of being an activist and moved away from the frontline to the background. That’s where I feel comfortable, especially as an introvert who prefers to stay in low arousal environments. But all in all, I am grateful for the clarity the journey has brought to me. Now I have found my “activist niche” by helping activist brands to translate their purpose into action and raising awareness through campaigns, events and public relations.

WHAT DOES ACTIVISM LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?

It’s important to not get distracted by what we believe a certain term means and pictures. The “activist” evolves as we adapt to a new world, especially during this pandemic. There is not just one type of activist, everybody can be one. If you like to get started, check out this previous article about how to be an efficient online activist. 

Speaking of, just a couple of days ago, Tolmeia Gregory - 19 year old environmental and fashion activist - initiated the hashtag campaign #ActivismLooksLike: 

“I believe it's important to remember that activism doesn't look the same for everybody. In fact, we start to look at activism from a very ableist (and ignorant) angle if we only see it as taking to the streets, which for many, isn't possible.”

So the answer is: as long as you feel a sense of purpose, of bringing on social change through action, you are meant to be an activist. The question rather is what does activism look like for you? 

If the question has prompted you to an answer, why not post a photo together with the hashtag #ActivismLooksLike on social media. It could be a photo of yourself with a banner, an event you’re hosting but also a piece of art, an article, a video. However you raise awareness, let us know!