Artist Tells Stories of Recession Hardships in a Whole New Way

By: Ellen Frick, Outreach Coordinator, NHS of Baltimore

Most of the information we hear about the recession is in numbers and percentages. While statistics can be useful, they are not always practical. For instance, we may read that employment rates are improving by some percentage but often cannot relate to the numbers. And it can be discouraging to see numbers about how things are picking up when we may not feel that way ourselves. Statistics can be impersonal, disconnected from every day life, and even misleading.

In contrast to rates and percentages, one woman is taking the initiative to bring personal stories of hardship to a whole new level. Lori Nelson began her “Souvenirs of the Recession” project by documenting economic events through carving pieces of wood. At one of her art shows, her “Recession plaques” inspired viewers to relate their own experiences with the economic crisis. Lori now invites individuals to share their stories of personal hardship which she recreates in art pieces and broadcasts on her website. The whole project was inspired by Studs Terkel’s series of interviews, “Hard Times”, which documented experiences of individuals living through the Great Depression.

Far more memorable than statistics, personal stories of hardship can teach us a lot. Nelson says that she is “grateful that Terkel had gotten people to open up to him so that we now can try to understand the intricacies of the Great Depression and learn from and perhaps even relate to them.” Indeed, many people are relating to one another through similar difficulties. Hearing about the hardships of others, though sad, can be encouraging in that it displays to us that we are not alone in these trying times. Part of what Lori wishes to accomplish through her artwork is to diminish the shame that so many people feel in an economic downturn. She has “noticed that when people hear others’ personal stories, they are more open about their own experiences.”

If you would like to share your recession story for the project, contact Lori Nelson.