How the Arts Make Me a Better Politician

I recently stared out the window as the miles dropped behind in my rearview mirror, on my way home from a leadership conference. County commissioners from around Minnesota had gathered for personal development. Real conversations were held in the spaces between the sessions. Commissioners huddled in groups with cups of coffee in hand, long silences spacing the chatter. We know that all 87 counties in Minnesota are headed toward difficult times that will be felt by family, friends, and neighbors.

Ask anyone what a county commissioner does, and often the reply is “I don’t know.” County government is known as the invisible layer of government. It is an invisible layer that protects our most vulnerable, promotes well-being and a healthy economy, and is the last line of defense in government. County commissioners and staff work on things that affect everyday lives — public health, elections, 911 call centers, workforce centers, libraries, and more.

My days and nights are a kaleidoscope of committee and board meetings, emails and phone calls, community events, and policy conferences. Being a county commissioner has always been challenging work, but I have never felt more burdened, anxious, or alarmed for what the future holds than I do under the Trump administration.

For me, the best ways to combat the challenges of politics are to remain grounded in myself and my values, and to find joy. That includes the practice of living a creative life.

I graduated from the Perpich Center for Arts Education, where I studied classical music. Surrounded by artistic disciplines and philosophies, I came to love and appreciate the arts. I still play music on occasion, but I also have discovered writing and dance.

Even as my world grew more complicated over time — in marriage, parenthood, and divorce — the arts remained. I studied music, but I had always wanted to be a ballerina. After my oldest was born, I decided to take classes at a local dance studio in Fridley to get out of the house as well as to get exercise.

After that studio closed, I landed at the Ballet Co.Laboratory in Saint Paul, a woman-founded and -led nonprofit that offers classes for all ages and abilities. It is a focused ballet school, alongside a professional dance company. I loved everything about it, including the Adult Performance Ensemble. This ensemble has allowed me to dance alongside professional dancers in classics like The Nutcracker, give homage to the loss of a loved one in a deeply personal creation, and participate in an original ballet production of The Little Prince.

I could have never imagined that I would have the opportunity to fulfill an absurd childhood dream in my middle-aged years and become a ballerina.

My position in politics is hectic and challenging. But the more time that goes by, the more I realize I would not — perhaps could not — have this unusual combination of a life in any other way. Both pursuits require emotion and intellect to do well, demand perseverance to keep moving in acceptance of change, and can break your heart from exposure to our raw humanity.

Ballet gives me stability. It shows me what other worlds look like. For a few hours every week, I immerse myself in music, dance, and beauty that bring me peace.

---

Mandy Meisner is an Anoka County commissioner for District 7. She is the first woman in this seat and the first person of color on the Anoka County board. She can be found in Fridley eagerly waiting for visits from her two college-aged children.