A great quote for our times
This is such a powerful and wonderful quote that stems from a somewhat sad connotation. (At least that’s how it hit me.)
The quote was adopted by the Black liberation movement, and that’s how I came to know it. And it’s been on my mind lately.
Right now, especially in Florida, rich (predominantly white) folks are attacking nearly everyone. The working class, as a whole. Within the working class, our BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People-of-Color), LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, queer), potentially pregnant, and immigrant siblings get attacked even further. Systems that support better living conditions for the working class get eroded: public schools, healthcare institutions, food programs, housing programs, and on… All of this led by out and proud fascists.
Moving towards thriving
Whew! How can anyone thrive under these conditions?
Part of the answer is: returning and connecting with joy. Sikh and civil rights activist, Valarie Kaur, offers the idea that in struggle, we can’t push and push all of the time. Using birth as an example, the pregnant person pushes at the right time, and in between they breathe. And (ideally) at the end of the process, the person experiences the joy of being a new parent, even though they just experienced extreme physical suffering.
My takeaway from Valarie’s example is that, in the midst of all of the things, joy is there for us to connect with. To tap into. And it’s necessary for us to reconnect with joy, especially in times of struggle, so we can refill our hearts so we’re ready for the next struggle to come. We must rest and breathe, and we must make space to connect with joy.
Connecting with joy through art
Before jumping into this, a bit of context: 1) I’m a recovering cynic. I can focus on the darkness of the cloud, ignoring the silver living, pretty easily. And, oh, I can flip that cloud around if I do start with the silver lining. 2) I don’t remember being happy very often as a child. I’ve healed a lot from the different things that led to my childhood feelings and experiences, but my default generally isn’t joy. I’m sure #1 evolved from #2.
Back to the topic: During June, I invested energy into exploring joy through visual art.
Did I do this piece all in one setting and feel amazingly joyful the entire time? No and no. But every time I worked on it, even if I wasn’t feeling so joyful at the beginning, I recentered and grounded myself in joy.
I played music that makes me sing, dance, and smile. I used colors that make me feel good. I pulled images from magazines and books that represent joy. I painted, cut, pasted, tore, stamped, wrote, and drew.
And you know what? As a month, I came out of May feeling pretty good. Life’s struggles were still going on, and I chose to plug into joy each time I worked on this piece. Certainly working on it made me feel better in and after the moment. And the entire month of May felt … better too.
Closing out
There needs to be room in our lives for all of the emotions. Too often I’ve gotten caught up in the negatives and limitations.
I’m learning that the positives and expansiveness are there for me (all of us!!) too. Joy is an act of resistance when those with the most power want us divided and struggling so that we struggle to come together in community to create the world we all deserve!
Whatever is going on in your life, I hope you are able to pause and connect with joy in ways that are meaningful to you!
Wishing you kind thoughts, kind words, and kind actions, intentions, and love. 🙏