Make Something & Help Someone
Advice Post US Election Day
I’ve been reading a lot of reflections and talking to a lot of people about what happened in the US election.
One true light that is getting me through — through yesterday and last night and overnight, and today and really up until right now — was being connected with so many people, and so many of YOU.
I appreciate our notes and DMs and texts and comments and messages. I appreciate that we felt “nauseously optimistic” (which I love) and even a bit purposefully distracted by each other as results came in.
There are many beautiful and thoughtful messages, so I am sharing mine.
First, this one from a very dear friend and teacher who always gives me hope:
Someone today advised me to remind the kids tomorrow that no matter who wins democracy is not a one-stop-shop on Election Day… it is an ongoing process to actively engage in to bring about the changes we believe in….hopefully I will buy into this better when I wake up cause now I am stressed!!
Democracy is an On-going Process.
And there is this beauty posted by
, what a good reminder.Leaving this here so you have it to come back to today. This country has always been brutal, and there has always been an us who have been fighting it. The beauty that comes out of that fight, the way our love for each other changes the world around us, is real ad glorious and unrelenting. It cannot be caged, tamed, erased or lost. You are part of that tradition. Art is making something no one asked for - not because they didn’t need it, but they didn’t *know* they needed it until you made it, until it helped them breathe and dream and find a way forward. It’s part of a map that shows us how to get out of this place. Keep going. Do your part. - Mom (Nullsie’s mom, not mine.)
Art Can Guide the Way.
Or this from one of my oldest friends (who has a house in France) Amanda.
And there is one of my favorites so far from the other, far more famous
:Keep Scheming to Make Things Better.
And finally, I love this from the author of Happiness of Pursuit,
:Sitting around feeling depressed and anxious, I know well, tends to make the initial feelings worse. But if I can find a way to move forward and take active action, often I improve.
Following this logic, I learned a simple tactic that’s helped a lot. I still do it often, even when I’m not sad or depressed.
The two-part solution is: when you’re not sure what to do, make something and help someone. That’s it!
Make Something and Help Someone, friends.
I’ll be here in the comments all day and after that. I am with you, scheming, making something and helping someone. ♥️
