Jacob Lund/Shutterstock
The year 2020 has been full of public health concerns, social and racial injustices, and general political tensions. This holiday season, may we find hope from outside academia and renew passion for our work from two inspirational individuals, who together bring forth new hope for families year-round but especially every December, Steve Albini and Heather Whinna.
Andrew Hibel, HigherEdJobs: Heather, tell us about Letters to Santa and how 24 Hour Improv at The Second City has been a catalyst of hope for families living in poverty every holiday season for nearly two decades. How have you maintained your passion for this event, mission, and the people you serve?
Heather Whinna: I have dedicated most of my adult life to creating convenient opportunities for others to be of service to those who suffer from poverty. I believe that the greatest conduit for humanitarianism is art. The relationship between 24 Hour (an annual 24-hour-long fundraising event that has been held at The Second City for 19 years) and Letters to Santa (a personal Christmas tradition which started in 1995) stands as an example of this. Throughout the event, you are able to see, in real-time, how art can transform passive compassion into immediate assistance via the work alone. The art of improvisation is unique, as the work itself demands that you rely on a moral compass. I am not an improviser and I should say that I can only speak from my perspective but I do not know of another artform which teaches that agreeing, supporting with evidence, and protecting the other performer is required to create. This is the easiest way to explain that art is the process not the product. In the same vein, giving is also a process. If your goal is to assist someone in need, you must be aware of what this interaction looks like. If you don’t consider the process, you are not giving. Watching others participate in this process continues to motivate me. Many people who stumble across this fundraiser are deeply touched by the motivation of the performers and at some point recognize that they are just as important as any other component of the event. This realization is a rare moment when one is able to discover a universal truth. The idea that you can act on this truth and help alleviate someone else’s suffering is remarkable. I have never really spoken about how music fits into this event so effortlessly, maybe because if you witness it there’s no need to explain. When you perform either with sincerity, the act itself causes a shift in the room. I knew that the musicians I knew deserved this kind of support and would be better for it. Also, every musician wants to be funny and every funny person wants to be a good musician but there is only one Fred Armisen.
Maintaining my passion for the mission and the people we serve, unfortunately, has never been easier. Whatever your politics are, it should be easy to agree that no one should be punished for being impoverished. Poverty is a crucial factor in determining where Inequity lives whether it be the cause or the consequence. I point this out because many people who have not experienced such inequities often believe that poverty is due to a series of bad choices made by the people who are suffering in poverty. It is true that people make bad choices. Whether you are poor or wealthy you will make more than one bad choice. The difference is that people who have more privileges have more opportunities to redeem themselves and are afforded the luxury of Grace. Being given the benefit of the doubt is not an act bestowed on everyone.
Hibel: Heather, you created Poverty Alleviation Charities (PAC) to make the work you do with Letters to Santa a year-round objective. How has helping others year-round changed your perspective on the needs of communities living in poverty and giving in general?
Whinna: Every interaction I have with someone who is suffering impacts me in a way that I am able to become a more thoughtful, less ignorant neighbor. The more work you do, the more opportunities you have to use this experience to alleviate someone else’s pain. At PAC, we concentrate on what that work looks like for every person who has trusted us to help. We are grateful for the organizations that aim to help as many people as possible. This dedication has allowed smaller organizations like ours to focus on making the most impact on each family as opposed to serving the most in need. I do believe that both perspectives are not only useful but required to turn any theory into an effective catalyst. One thing I know for sure is that doing this work throughout the year has helped us create additional programming that addresses several specific areas of inequity that have haunted me after every Christmas Day delivery. Receiving immediate assistance or a significant financial gift has the ability to carry additional gifts like Economic Agency and Hope but if you can additionally address the trauma caused by poverty and level the academic playing field you have the opportunity to change the trajectory of an entire family’s future.
Hibel: Steve, in 2016 you said, “I haven’t had a conventional Christmas morning in almost 20 years. I haven’t missed it.” What advice would you give to anyone who is struggling with not having a conventional Christmas this season?
Steve Albini: The reason my Christmases have been unusual is that I’m spending them with Heather and our friends bringing much-needed help to poor families, and that is rewarding in ways I can’t even describe. In a selfish way, being part of helping these people is better than getting gifts and eating well. This year, the worst year, for other people, home-bound by the coronavirus and terrified of the risk and privations it engenders, well they don’t have that going for them. I think the healthiest attitude during this crisis is to just write off this year. Just let it run out the clock and pick up the ball on the other side after the time-out. There will be other Christmases, there will be other opportunities to convene and celebrate, just not this year, the worst year. Reflect and revel in each other, recall how much you have already shared and loved, indulge in reminiscence of past joy and plan for future joy.
Hibel: Steve, you have been a revered figure in the music industry. You do not shy away from expressing your opinions about what is wrong within your industry. Have you ever lost motivation for your work, and if so, what do you do when it turns into apathy? What are successful strategies for you to overcome moments (or extended periods) of apathy towards your industry and maintain the principles that guide your life and work?
Albini: If I describe the music industry as two camps, the bands and musicians in one camp and the administrators and businesspeople in another, my work is primarily with bands and independent musicians, people I am naturally aligned with and sympathetic with. Working with these people, who I view as comrades and peers, I am always charmed and invigorated by seeing them work creatively and achieve their ambitions. It is incredibly satisfying. If I’m ever on a session that becomes a drag, either because of the workload or the process has become encumbered with extra-musical problems, I reflect on those emotions, the creativity, ambition, and satisfaction of the musicians the industry is supposed to serve. I confess I’ve never been apathetic about my work. I occasionally feel exhausted by it, or frustrated by the parts of it that aren’t compelling (paperwork, struggling with the finances of keeping a business afloat), then I recall one of the many exhilarating moments or joyous experiences I’ve had in the studio to remind myself how lucky I have been to have had those moments and experiences.
Music and the community of musicians have shaped my entire adult life, and I literally owe them everything in my world. I will put up with an awful lot to remain embedded in it.
Hibel: You have both seen how societal and bureaucratic safety nets can have gaping holes. Your missions to sew these holes together are inspiring but, I assume, can come with heavy emotional burdens. How do you both maintain your visions for better futures and what is the thing that keeps you going even in the most trying times?
Albini: My help with Poverty Alleviation is entirely at Heather’s direction. I’m dumb muscle. She has been the inventive thinker, the guiding and defining force behind all the work the organization does. Whatever credit I get for helping out, believe me it’s all just reflected light from her doing brilliant, compassionate work.
As for the future, for a brighter vision, I try to remain politically engaged and encourage progressive consciousness in my peers, support candidates who argue for a just and equitable society, and do what I can personally to mitigate the harms induced by poor leadership. I can’t fix things, but I can help people. Sometimes only a few at a time, sometimes only one, but I can always do something.
Hibel: What advice would you give to anyone struggling with work right now and how they can reconnect to their passion and garner meaning in their work?
Albini: The whole world is in slow motion. Working now is mostly not working and worrying about not working. It’s important to realize this is imposed, not chosen, and you are not a lesser person because you’re not working or working less than usual. Try not to feel like a lack of activity is any kind of reflection on your intent, your character, or your disposition. Use the time to learn, to express your appreciation for the people you love, to work on your small passions and interests. Refuse to be bored. Resolve to appreciate the greater world more once you’re allowed back in it.
I hope that doesn’t come off as flippant, like I’m dodging the question. You can’t control your circumstances, only your reaction to them and how much you let them weigh on you. I’m suggesting you relieve yourself of the weight for now. Remember that this year, the worst year, is running its bullsh*t on everybody and you aren’t at fault for it. Don’t be afraid or ashamed to ask for help or emotional support from your friends, they want to give it to you, and it will make their year better to have done it.