Spoonfuls of Hope

It's been a long decade this year so far...

Right now feels overwhelming for a lot of people. There is a nonstop firehose of awful spraying at full power. It feels hard to hang on to hope that things can get better. I know myself, and many others have felt a bit paralyzed. It's hard to even know where to begin when so much needs care and attention. Trying to give that needed care and attention is demanding and tiring.

On top of the general upheaval of the world, there are personal goals. Even with best laid plans and endless hours of hard work, to be honest my own goals feel more and more like unattainable dreams. I know I'm not alone in this. Myself and too many others have the nauseating sense that life in general is just going to keep get harder, year over year, for those of us on the lower rungs of the socioeconomic ladder.

We put in immense efforts and it barely gets us almost nowhere. For us artists and creative types it's already difficult to reach sustainability let alone success in these fields. The rise of AI generation in particular is making it even harder. I know what it's like to struggle so I don't even blame people for taking the option to pay a much lower price for a quicker turn around. Still... I hope.

More than hope - I continue to put in effort to improve my craft and into the people and causes I care about. I've got to keep going because forward is the only direction we can go. The time will pass anyway and at least I can say that I tried... that I learned and kept improving... that I contributed even if it was in a tiny way. I encourage you to do the same.

I'm not sure if you are familiar with Spoon Theory, but as someone with chronic health conditions and PTSD I think it's an apt visual metaphor for how much physical and mental energy a person has.

As we continue to endure these fraught times, I think it's paramount that we keep finding enough spoons to keep giving a fork. We've got to keep finding little spoonfuls of hope that we can feed ourselves and others so that we have the energy to keep on advocating for others and keep working towards our own personal goals.

Here are 5 things I'm doing to help me make it through these moments. I hope some these can help you as well.:

1. Reducing news consumption.

   There is that meme that goes something like, "My desire to stay informed is at odds with my desire to stay sane." I'm personally choosing sane. So much of the news seems to be about getting the scoop and being first to get those viewer advertising dollars - facts be damned. It's designed to rile people up and evoke an emotional reaction. The truth is, that for a lot of the news there's not a lot I can personally do about it. The important stuff is going to get through. People on my social media feeds are going to post about it. Listening to the constant buzz isn't healthy for my sanity. I'm still staying informed just at my own pace and in the time and space I designate for it, instead of the constant barrage of bad.
   

2. Increasing creative consumption.

   Less news means more time for video essays about cool niche topics. For me that's stuff like art, art history, ancient Egypt, theologies and religious pantheons, philosophy, science, and more. It means more time for books. (This next part isn't sponsored in any way I just love these two sites.) Sign up for a library card and then get a free app called Libby and you can check out audio books and more for FREE! Another favorite site is LibriVox.org this one has audio books that are in the public domain read by volunteers. The site is free and I think the app is a couple of dollars one time.
   

3. More music.

   The past few years I haven't really been listening to much music. I'm making an effort to change that. It's amazing how much more enjoyable dishes and laundry or cooking can be when I'm dancing my way through them. I'm making playlists that inspire and energize me. I'm building one just to fuel my resistance and advocacy. Music is a powerful artform and I'm making less space for the cacophony of noise and more for the melodies and bangers that help move me forward.
   

4. Be in community.

   It's can be really easy to fall inside that back hole of despair and start believing that self defeating inner voice. You know the one... the one that tells you that you're alone and that no one else cares and everything is shit anyway so why bother? Being alone with that voice can be debilitating. It can be energizing and cathartic to talk with others about the issues we're facing. If you do an activity like play a game or eat a meal with others and don't even discuss anything serious, that can be a refreshing break.
   

5. Taking action.

   I feel most helpless, overwhelmed, and paralyzed when I'm just taking everything in and not doing anything with that overload. When legislation is being considered I register my opinion with my representatives. Are they likely to actually listen? Maybe not, but their staff is keeping a tally of constituent views and what too many elected officials actually care about is getting re-elected. If enough dissent is registered they may consider the ramifications of pushing ahead with harmful laws. In addition to writing my reps, I volunteer. I can't expend energy on every single issue. It's too much. I don't think we evolved to a point where we're able carry the entire weight of all the worlds problems. So I volunteer locally in support of causes that are important to me. When finances allow it, I donate. This is where I can make the most impact so I do. While it's impossible to keep track of everyone's positions on everything, I purchase with small, local businesses, that I know hold views I also support. I donate art to fundraisers aligned with my views. I avoid the big retail stores whenever possible. I also keep pushing forward with improving myself, being authentic, and chasing my dreams. That alone can feel like an act of resistance when it seems like we're existing in a world where the nails that stick out the most get hammered first.

   
   

All of this might seem like a teaspoon in the vast ocean of shit we're currently swimming in... and that may well be true but we've got to keep swimming towards our destinations anyway. Even if they are tiny spoon sized paddles, I'm glad I've got some things I can hold on to to help direct my course and improve how my journey feels. I hope some of this can help you too.

Please add your suggestions and song recommendations in the comments.

Stay sane and safe out there fram.

---

I mentioned at the beginning that I'm working towards some art goals. You're probably not wondering what some of those goals are but it's my blog so I'm going to tell you anyway.

The past couple of years I have slowly been building up my merchandise library. I'm storing originals, prints, stickers, and more. The goal is to be able to start tabling at local events. The next step is to start acquiring display elements and the other supplies and tools I will need. After that there are licenses, fees, and other paperwork I'll need to tackle. All of this is taking much longer than I originally planned but I keep working at it.

If you have the means to help, please consider buying something out of my shop, throwing me a dollar on Patreon each month, or gifting art to the public with a heARTdrop.

Ultimately, I'd like to reach a point of sustainability and be able to donate a portion of my proceeds to non-profits working to reduce and prevent harm.

If you don't have funds to spare, I definitely understand. You can still help by interacting with and sharing my social media accounts and posts. Join my monthly newsletter and share when I have special promotions. Come hang out in one of my live streams. Color one of my free coloring pages and tag me if you post it online. All of these things help.

Thank you for reading all the way through. Much love to you. Stay awesome.

-HR

I Luv U.