Joy, brilliance and companionship: The building blocks of a good life

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Source Kirsty Kelly took this picture of her daughter Rebecca 

in Kelvingrove Art Gallery (Scotland) on September 29, 2012.

THOUGHT 1: I love the unselfconscious abandon with which the little girl is dancing in front of John Lavery’s 1911 painting of the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova. She clearly saw something in the painting and responded to it with her whole body, literally throwing herself into her response. It is a glorious response.

DESIRE 1: I want this in my life, this open joyful response to something that someone has created. Or, indeed, to have someone respond to my own creative endeavours in this way.

THOUGHT 2: “Sometimes the future changes quickly and completely … and we are left only with the choice of what to do next … We can choose to be afraid of it, to stand there, trembling, not moving, assuming the worst that can happen or we can step forward into the unknown and assume it will be brilliant.” Dr. Cristina Yang’s exit speech, Grey’s Anatomy, S10/ep 24

DESIRE 2: The current state of the world sends shivers down my spine and fear into the core of my being. It is hard to assume anything but the very worst. However, in my own teeny tiny corner, things are not so bad. In fact, many things are good, so I want to channel Cristina’s perspective and assume that whatever lies around the corner will be brilliant if only I am open to it.

THOUGHT 3: Brilliant does not mean perfect, does not mean pain free or without struggle. For me, in my corner, brilliant means satisfying work, engaging conversations, and lively connections. There might be the occasional drop of blood on the floor, but, together, we’ll mop it up and carry on. Brilliance is rarely pristine. But it can exist. It does exist. And, maybe, it’s coming just around the corner. The point is to be ready for it…

DESIRE 3: …I want to be ready for it in whatever form it shows up. At the moment, I am finding it in the various writing circles I am part of. It is exciting to be with others who care about the written word, who take seriously what they produce on the page, and who are eager to share not only their words but their experience of the writing life. There is conversation in these communities and a shared commitment to our craft — and that is both brilliant and joyful.

As we head towards the second month of this new year, it is not too late for me to wish for you some serious brilliance around your next corner or two. May you know it when you see it. May you meet it with open heart and willing mind. And may you have the companionship of like-minded compatriots along the way.

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SPARK YOUR LIFE STORY workshop 
January 30 (Zoom) & April 21 (in person) 

I had a spot of brilliance this past Saturday when I was invited to be on our local CBC Radio morning show to talk about our new workshop "Spark Your Life Story". The host was interested, I was excited to be talking about this new offering Deborah Schnitzer and I have developed, and some listeners called and wrote in with questions about life writing. I thoroughly enjoyed myself behind the microphone. Listen to the interview here. Learn more about the workshop here and register for it here.

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Land acknowledgement: I respectfully recognize that I live on the original lands of Anishinaabe, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota and Dene peoples, and on the homeland of the Métis Nation.

Comments

  1. Ann sans EJanuary 23, 2024 at 5:12 AM

    I shall ponder on this essay for some time. Thank you

    ReplyDelete
  2. MargueriteJanuary 23, 2024 at 1:42 PM

    I listened to your CBC piece on the upcoming "Spark Your Life Story." The question of how to get started caused me to think about my own writing which I do not share. It is one of my tools of recovery. I have used it as a way back from homelessness as a result of years of alcohol abuse. In early recovery, it was suggested that I write using my non-dominant hand it would really help me get to the core issues that I tried to drink away. That was hogwash, the only thing I ended up with is that I am now ambidextrous.

    You said something I know to be true for me: make a 'commitment to explore words on a page.' It did not matter what hand I wrote with whether I used a pencil, pen, or crayon it is the exploration of self through words that revealed to me, a me. A sentient being with a soul connects to itself with words..

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousJanuary 24, 2024 at 3:42 PM

    I fell in love with the photo of the little girl. Pure uninhibited joy. Compelling enough to describe thought and Desire in such unconditional, but valid ways. Thanks so much!

    ReplyDelete

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