When an Election Gives You a Shellacking, Make Decoupage

In the aftermath of the 2024 election, U.S. media is awash in political analyses and predictions. Op-ed pages, blogs, and social media are replete with journalists, DC insiders, political scientists, sociologists, statisticians, and others trying to explain the election outcome. Was it misogyny, racism, wokeness, higher education, the economy, immigration, misinformation, Gaza, all of the above? Predictions for what lies ahead are also in abundant supply as prognosticators forecast the implications of cabinet selections, campaign utterances, and Project 2025.

Many of us are tuning into the media to make sense of an unforeseen outcome and to prepare for what may be coming. These attempts to comprehend the past and future are not surprising, especially since the election results took many of us off guard. If you were paying attention to pollsters and journalists, the race was not as close as you thought it would be, and the outcome was finalized far more quickly than you anticipated. If you’re in a Blue bubble, a Trump win was jarring — both because everyone you knew was voting for Kamala and due to the consequences you foresee for vulnerable populations and democracy.

How are you approaching the election analyses and predictions for the upcoming Trump administration? Are you reading, posting, and sharing with a fervor that matches pre-election anxiety? Or perhaps you’re trying to tune out the news, yet Trump’s cabinet picks seep into your awareness and rattle you.

The urgency with which some people articulate, consume, and share these analyses belies a strong desire to gain conclusive insights, perhaps driven by a discomfort with uncertainty. The ambiguity of not knowing is hard to sit with and can prod us to grasp for solid ground. As valuable as it is to make sense of the unexpected, rushing to interpret events can sometimes lead us to overlook their complexity.

What’s the alternative to desperately trying to understand the past and predict the future? You’re probably familiar with the adage, “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” I suggest a new maxim: when an election gives you a shellacking, make decoupage.

Why Decoupage?

How might the art of gluing things to the surface of an object help us meet the current moment? Many people engage in crafting as a form of relaxation, with the focus on the enjoyment of the process and the satisfaction of creation, not on speedy completion of the project. Similarly, we may want to slow our roll in trying to decipher the meaning of the election outcome. More important than coming to a fast conclusion is forming a picture that offers insight.

Decoupage involves selecting and arranging materials — pictures, paper, and textiles — to create a layered and cohesive image. Like the varied analyses flooding the media, these materials offer different pieces of the puzzle. The key is to be thoughtful about which pieces we choose to engage with and how we fit them together. For example, we might be drawn to content that easily aligns with our viewpoint, but adding some items that contrast with what’s familiar can create a more textured understanding.

Slowing Down to Make Sense of the Pieces

In a political context, decoupage encourages us to step back from the urge to draw quick conclusions or engage in heated debates. It invites us to take our time to process information, sit with uncertainty, and integrate what we learn into a more comprehensive understanding. This doesn’t mean disengaging or ignoring critical issues. It means giving ourselves the time and space to make sense of the moment thoughtfully, creatively, and with care.

For instance, if you find yourself fixated on predictions about the next four years, pause and ask: What pieces of this information help me better understand what’s happening? You might choose to focus on analyses that offer hope or actionable steps, rather than ones that stoke fear or division. Similarly, in conversations with others, decoupage reminds us to approach with curiosity — listening, reflecting, and asking questions to layer perspectives rather than rushing to assert our own.

Building Resilience and Finding Inspiration

Crafting, like decoupage, also serves as a form of emotional regulation. It provides a tactile way to channel the energy of frustration or despair into something tangible. Similarly, as we make sense of political outcomes, we can focus on creating something durable — insights, connections, and actions that help us move forward with resilience. The process of layering and gluing reminds us to be patient with ourselves and others, and to build a foundation that can withstand scrutiny from multiple angles.

Moving Forward with Creativity and Groundedness

Rather than rushing to form a definitive conceptualization of the election outcome, take time to fit the pieces together into a complex and layered vision. With this approach, you may end up with something that captures the many dimensions of the moment — a creation that informs, inspires, and energizes you for the work ahead.

In the end, making decoupage out of an election outcome is about more than art. It’s about approaching uncertainty with intention, creativity, and groundedness. It’s about crafting a response to political upheaval that not only makes sense of the past but also motivates us to shape the future. So gather your materials, slow down, and get to work — there’s something valuable to be made, even from the fragments.

Tania Israel is a Professor of Counseling Psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara and author of Facing the Fracture: How to Navigate the Challenges of Living in a Divided Nation (Greenleaf Book Group, 2024).