Magical Substance
on the revolutionary force of joy, writing pain, and the struggle for integrity.
At the end, find an essay about Renee Magritte and Joy, a beautiful movie recommendation, and other readings that inspired this research. I also want to celebrate that my workshop Writing The Body is sold out! For those who could not book it in time, who told me you’d love to have another one soon, your wish is my command! You can see what it is about here, and write to me if you are interested in joining the next. (It is free for WAVES paying subscribers) Enjoy today’s essay!
These days I find it very difficult to write about most things. It is a moment where for me, everything seems to be futile in comparison to a televised genocide. I feel embarrassed to write about anything that doesn’t honour grief, pain, and the heaviness of the world. But I have also so deeply craved to write about Joy and its revolutionary purpose.
The struggle for integrity, especially in times of crisis, is something I have been writing about a lot in the last three months. Every week, I sit at my desk and go through the many topics I have jotted down for this newsletter, and I find myself stuck. On social media, I am embarrassed to post a selfie before I post about bombed hospitals. Whilst many argue on whether artists should reflect the times, I have already decided that I want to; the decision I have to make is how.
In a world that seeks consistency and insistence then, how do I find a language that holds the nuances of complexity? My journey in activism started with a lot of anger, which I then realised I had to transmute, I knew my message needed to be sugared down not only for people to receive it but for myself to be able to keep going. Poetry became the anchor to my chaotic seas, the sprinkle of joy in injustice.
What do you do when the magic doesn’t work? I ask, inspired by a beautiful essay recently written by Hannah Levy. I keep asking myself, how do I find integrity and balance in my work as I am surrounded by chaos? Can I write about joy in this darkness?
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