The Future Has Naps is a solo art exhibit by multi-medium artist Janai Marshall, exploring the intersecting themes of Black Rest, Black Dreaming, & Black Futures.

Janai is both a visual & performing artist, as well as a licensed mental health therapist, and believes that our healing processes and our creativity ought not be seperate. She believes that there are Black people in the future, and that caring for ourselves well enough to live to see that future is not a luxury—it’s a necessity.

This exhibit explores how rest creates an environment for imagining new futures for ourselves and our communities. Her work begs the questions: What does it mean to protect rest for ourselves now, before life is “perfect”? What happens when we embrace rest as a portal for dreaming, healing and restoration?

The exhibit premise is based upon the "4 Tenets of Rest," as presented by Tricia Hersey of The Nap Ministry:

1. Rest is a form of resistance:

In a society that often equates productivity with self-worth, rest can be a radical act of defiance. By prioritizing rest, individuals push back against the constant pressure to produce and consume, challenging the systems that benefit from their exploitation. 

2. Our bodies are a site of liberation:

Rest is not just about physical inactivity; it's a way to reconnect with our bodies and reclaim our agency. Hersey's work emphasizes that rest can be a powerful form of self-care and a pathway to healing and self-discovery, particularly for those who have been marginalized. 

3. Naps provide a portal to imagine, invent, and heal:

Napping, often seen as frivolous, is presented as a valuable opportunity for creativity and healing. It allows the mind to wander, process emotions, and generate new ideas, potentially leading to breakthroughs and personal growth. 

4. Our DreamSpace has been stolen and we want it back:

This tenet speaks to the feeling of being overwhelmed and disconnected from our own desires and aspirations. Rest, in this context, is a means of reclaiming our time, energy, and imagination, allowing us to reconnect with our dreams and pursue them. 

Janai submits an additional tenet, based upon the writings of other black woman authors, such as Audre Lorde’s “Uses of the Erotic”, and Adrienne Marie Brown’s “Pleasure Activism”. The 5th tenet proposed is as follows:

5. Rest requires active play and creativity:

This tenet speaks to the notion that engaging in play and putting our hands to create new things are critical restorative practices—not simply byproducts of other forms of rest. These activities can be technology to generate embodied, renewable energy to manifest new present and future states for ourselves and our communities.

Contributors:

Janai Marshall, Floodlight Studios - Instagram @janaimarshallarts

Catrya Young, Club From Nowhere - Instagram @clubfromnowhere