Hrag Vartanian, editor-at-large and co-founder of Hyperallergic, notes that Zohran Mamdani’s ascent to NYC mayor is a powerful example of creativity, imagination, and collective action in politics. Mamdani’s campaign and victory, he says, embody artistic principles: believing in possibility, rejecting cynicism, and linking art, identity, and social change.

In this essay, Vartanian draws clear parallels between artistic creation and political transformation. Artists routinely make the “impossible” real, and in doing so, inspire others to believe in change.

Creativity and aspiration are antidotes to the status quo. They help communities imagine and reach for something better. Just ask Mamdani.

ARTICLE REVIEW: The Creative Essence of Zohran Mamdani’s Ascent

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