There's no point pretending this is all not happening. For me the question is first, can I do anything about it, and next, what can I do that will stop me from going under with the weight of it all, and is there anything I can do to help others not go under? How do we hold onto and create light as we hold our knowledge of the darkness?
Thank you for your very frank comment! Even in the reading, we take on some of the burden, which I appreciate you have in addressing this piece.
In history, art and religion tend to be the answers to maintaining 'Hope.' I believe this is still how we, and history, will navigate your concern.
It is a delicate balance: How we do or do not put our own sanity and emotional ability to the test every time more 'news' comes. Shall we accept this is part of the human condition? Or rather is it a test of the checks and balances of what our race seems to constantly manifest? I am not sure exactly what to do with this either!
One thing I know: In your own pilgrimage you already contribute to a greater good. Whether we choose to abide by zen or existential principles in dealing with the flashpoints, Blake's minimalist world in a grain of sand or Asimov's expansive psychohistory (something I should write about soon) in our own navigation matters less than the act of presence.
Doing something in a physical sense? A lot to ask for the many, though some do! Those who do will be enough to create change or awareness where it needs to be made. There is one Christ, Buddha, Muhammad, Krishna, Moses, Confucius, Lay-Tsu... For millions to be inspired or change their path, ONE has made the difference. This is proven in history. So there is the religion aspect I mentioned.
Then, from the perspective of art and creativity, what one has the power to do for themselves, or for the many, is manifest exactly in the manner you strive toward. You hit it today in your post as well. Art is a conjurer. Whether representational of our world, or an ideal world... a being or a state of being... an inner sanctum moves outward. I still believe in the vibration of art as able to make change. Someone who reads what I posted here may/will carry it into their next work, their next thought, or perhaps a conversation. The vibration of it carries. Whether any more than that one aspect happens, in my belief, is what may or may not make a difference.
The burden is not yours alone to bear. In the knowing is some of the release. In the sharing is some of the power. The sum is greater than the individual parts. I am confident in your question. I am confident in my own. As I said, the asking and naming—in itself—is also the bravery. So I believe this: The spirit of art elevates, Tamsin. If you do the good work, the universe is listening.
Oh dear, was I very frank? :-) I guess I've thought about this a lot, especially as I see people close to going under a lot through social media, close to ruining their own lives from the stress of it all. I absolutely agree that we shouldn't look away. One of the things I remember starkly from living with refugees was the realisation that they would relish having half of what we have, after that I used to feel that I had an obligation to savour every minute of my lucky life almost on their behalf, that they would think we were nuts not to savour what we had. The awareness is crucial though, we need to remember, as you're helping us to do with your piece today.
Totally! We are spoiled. I breathe gratitude into whatever, whenever I can. Recently much was taken away from me for a while at a very high cost. Now I say thanks under my breath every time I have the freedom to move about unencumbered.
Such a powerful piece. Sometimes I look back at my life and it catches me off guard that things that feel so far away were in my own lifetime. The fall of the Berlin Wall. The collapse of the Soviet Union. I have lived in different countries, and have a first hand experience with capitalism, socialism, communism, the transitory and all the things that come with it... And "history doesn't repeat itself but it often rhymes" and we should remember that. Actually it just reminded me of an earlier quote by Karl Marx "History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce" because we're living through this now.
So very true. Thank you for sharing your own insights and a bit of important wisdom.
I believe it’s a reality check for each of us, to go back to what has actually been happening alongside our lives, what we have witnessed first hand, and even what we have participated in. We are all a movie in the making, when we really start to dissect our lived history.
Powerful. And the parallels to what we see happening with new concentration camps being built is evident. Thank you for sharing this. We need to wake up.
There's no point pretending this is all not happening. For me the question is first, can I do anything about it, and next, what can I do that will stop me from going under with the weight of it all, and is there anything I can do to help others not go under? How do we hold onto and create light as we hold our knowledge of the darkness?
Thank you for your very frank comment! Even in the reading, we take on some of the burden, which I appreciate you have in addressing this piece.
In history, art and religion tend to be the answers to maintaining 'Hope.' I believe this is still how we, and history, will navigate your concern.
It is a delicate balance: How we do or do not put our own sanity and emotional ability to the test every time more 'news' comes. Shall we accept this is part of the human condition? Or rather is it a test of the checks and balances of what our race seems to constantly manifest? I am not sure exactly what to do with this either!
One thing I know: In your own pilgrimage you already contribute to a greater good. Whether we choose to abide by zen or existential principles in dealing with the flashpoints, Blake's minimalist world in a grain of sand or Asimov's expansive psychohistory (something I should write about soon) in our own navigation matters less than the act of presence.
Doing something in a physical sense? A lot to ask for the many, though some do! Those who do will be enough to create change or awareness where it needs to be made. There is one Christ, Buddha, Muhammad, Krishna, Moses, Confucius, Lay-Tsu... For millions to be inspired or change their path, ONE has made the difference. This is proven in history. So there is the religion aspect I mentioned.
Then, from the perspective of art and creativity, what one has the power to do for themselves, or for the many, is manifest exactly in the manner you strive toward. You hit it today in your post as well. Art is a conjurer. Whether representational of our world, or an ideal world... a being or a state of being... an inner sanctum moves outward. I still believe in the vibration of art as able to make change. Someone who reads what I posted here may/will carry it into their next work, their next thought, or perhaps a conversation. The vibration of it carries. Whether any more than that one aspect happens, in my belief, is what may or may not make a difference.
The burden is not yours alone to bear. In the knowing is some of the release. In the sharing is some of the power. The sum is greater than the individual parts. I am confident in your question. I am confident in my own. As I said, the asking and naming—in itself—is also the bravery. So I believe this: The spirit of art elevates, Tamsin. If you do the good work, the universe is listening.
Oh dear, was I very frank? :-) I guess I've thought about this a lot, especially as I see people close to going under a lot through social media, close to ruining their own lives from the stress of it all. I absolutely agree that we shouldn't look away. One of the things I remember starkly from living with refugees was the realisation that they would relish having half of what we have, after that I used to feel that I had an obligation to savour every minute of my lucky life almost on their behalf, that they would think we were nuts not to savour what we had. The awareness is crucial though, we need to remember, as you're helping us to do with your piece today.
✨❤️🔥 we keep asking, we keep learning.
Totally! We are spoiled. I breathe gratitude into whatever, whenever I can. Recently much was taken away from me for a while at a very high cost. Now I say thanks under my breath every time I have the freedom to move about unencumbered.
Thanks again for your input🫶🏻
Thank you both for this conversation! We keep learning.
Such a powerful piece. Sometimes I look back at my life and it catches me off guard that things that feel so far away were in my own lifetime. The fall of the Berlin Wall. The collapse of the Soviet Union. I have lived in different countries, and have a first hand experience with capitalism, socialism, communism, the transitory and all the things that come with it... And "history doesn't repeat itself but it often rhymes" and we should remember that. Actually it just reminded me of an earlier quote by Karl Marx "History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce" because we're living through this now.
So very true. Thank you for sharing your own insights and a bit of important wisdom.
I believe it’s a reality check for each of us, to go back to what has actually been happening alongside our lives, what we have witnessed first hand, and even what we have participated in. We are all a movie in the making, when we really start to dissect our lived history.
Funny that you mention conjuring....in my probably next article I talk about images conjuring god and I was thinking what a juicy word this is!
Powerful. And the parallels to what we see happening with new concentration camps being built is evident. Thank you for sharing this. We need to wake up.