Keep planting flowers
and find out what they are
This hasn't been an easy start to the year. Most people I know are struggling, and the world feels bitter and unsafe, full of uncertainty. It reminds me of when the pandemic started. The dread of tomorrow is palpable.
After listening to this interview with Arthur C Brooks (“The Happiness Expert”), one thing has been lingering in my mind: we need hope to live. It's quite an interesting interview that touches on how much we need to believe we have agency in our lives to be happy. But how can we do that when we face heartbreaking news daily? And on top of that, life keeps living regardless of whether we have time to catch our breath.
It’s not easy, and I don’t have answers, but this excerpt of Austin Kleon’s book “Keep Going” was one of the only things that sparked real hope to me lately.
The months leading up to World War II were some of the most terrible months in the life of Leonard and Virginia Woolf, as they “helplessly and hopelessly” watched events unfold. Leonard said one of the most horrible things was listening to Hitler’s rants on the radio – “the savage and insane ravings of a vindictive underdog who suddenly saw himself to be all-powerful.”
One afternoon he was planting iris in the orchard under an apple-tree “Suddenly I heard Virginia’s voice calling to me from the sitting room window: ‘Hitler is making a speech.’ but Leonard had enough. “I shan’t come.” He shouted back to Virginia. “I’m planting iris and they will be flowering long after he is dead.” He was right. Twenty-one years after Hitler committed suicide in the bunker, a few of those violet flowers still flowered under the apple-tree in the orchard.
I don’t know for sure what kinds of flowers I’m planting with my days on this planet but I intend to find out and so should you
I truly believe that right now we might not have the strength to change the world, but we can keep planting our flowers and finding out what they are. It’s an act of rebellion, to hope and to outlive this crap.
This month
I did this comic
And Happy Lunar New Year! This was an illustration I made for work for the year of the Snake.
Last bits and pieces
I devoured the book “Butter” by Asako Yuzuki. The food descriptions are delicious and it took me to a surprising journey.
I’m currently trying to pace myself on the Murderbot Series by Martha Wells. It’s a quick, fun and full of heart sci-fi.
Highly recommend Austin Kleon’s newsletter (and all of his books!). It’s one of my favorites and it’s full of creative energy.