“Do Something”: The People’s March

 

1/18/25 Pre-march rally at Cal Anderson Park, Capitol Hill neighborhood

A sea of pink hats and human solidarity: That was my lasting impression of the 2017 Women’s March in Seattle. On Saturday the vibe was very different at the (more inclusively named) People’s March, which was much smaller and quieter. Recalling vividly the logistical difficulties of taking public transportation that day eight years ago, I almost hesitated, but I needn’t have worried; participation this time was a small fraction of the 130,000 who turned out in 2017.

A few women broke into song as we all waited for the march to get under way.

No pink hats anywhere to be seen on my light rail ride.

I also missed the strong symbolism of pink pussy hats so many women (and even some men) donned back then. When I got on the light rail Saturday morning, expecting to see at least a few other pink hats besides my own, I saw none. Although that discouraged me, I felt better by the time I met two friends for the pre-march rally at Cal Anderson Park. There, we saw lots of signs and enough pink hats to feel some of the solidarity we had all remembered in 2017.

The march is finally under way down Pine Street from Capitol Hill toward Seattle Center.

While some people say that participating in protest demonstrations is a waste of energy that could be applied more productively, I kept hearing Michelle Obama’s voice in my head to “do something.” Sketching as we marched, I suddenly became aware that I probably would not have come if it hadn’t been a sketch reportage opportunity. For me, the “doing something” is not just showing up for the march; it’s documenting that it occurred. Many people have deep concerns about our country and the man who takes office today. The ones who turned out for the march were expressing those concerns with their presence. I, in turn, sketched their presence. It is never a waste of energy to use art to express our views. 

The march continues through downtown Seattle.

The two-mile march ends at the Space Needle.

Before the march began, I made a journal page at Elliott Bay Book Company's cafe.

Marching Tools

Searching my blog for the post I did in 2017, I also found this one about the tools I used and what I learned from sketching during a march. As I prepped for Saturday, I didn’t remember exactly which materials I had brought then, but I knew they were simple. I chose simplicity again: A brush pen containing water-soluble ink for easy tonal washes and two pink brush markers.

Simple materials: From top, Kuretake Zig Clean Color brush marker, Akashiya Sai watercolor marker, Pilot brush pen

Picking out the pens was easy. Slightly more difficult was the sketchbook. I wanted something very slim and lightweight, yet in a slightly larger format than my usual Uglybook. And I wanted white paper so that the pink would pop. I dug through my stash and found a 6-inch-square signature that I had stitched years ago, probably to sample some new watercolor papers.

Doing something!

The format was an ideal choice: I had 50 percent more real estate than in an Uglybook, and whatever the paper is has excellent sizing. In fact, the heavy sizing turned out to be a problem for the water-soluble brush pen ink, which took a bit of time to dry completely, and I kept smudging it, especially when I tried to write. Writing while walking is way harder than drawing! I wanted to record some of the signs, but I gave up after a couple of messy attempts. 

Thankfully, rain was not in the forecast as it had been in 2017. On Saturday, my usual convertible mittens enabled me to keep sketching even though the temps were in the low 30s!