How to start this second edition after the last weeks and what is going on in the world? I honestly don’t know.
So maybe let's just start by taking a deep breath or two.
The war in Ukraine is horrifying and puts all the suffering that is constantly going on in the world under a magnifying glass. Confronted with this war, injustices, and fear on so many levels, it almost feels selfish or ignorant to take a breather, while so many people are in danger and can’t afford to take a break. “Is this the appropriate time for an inspiration letter?”, I asked myself. At the same time, I believe that we have a responsibility, towards ourselves and others, to take care of our mental health, our well-being, and our energy. Supporting ourselves in the best way we can, to find moments of calmness, to be compassionate, and to turn that into action, while not breaking under the weight of this darkness. Because this is the last thing we need right now — more darkness. And maybe a moment of pause, contemplation, and yes, also joy, can support that — not to look away from important issues, but to gather strength to show up in the world. This means starting with us and within.
…this has been on my mind, especially during the last weeks. While empathy says „I'm feeling with you" (which is such an important emotion for human connection), compassion comes with an open-hearted awareness towards suffering and the whole-hearted wish to ease this pain, without automatically embodying it. Carrying the pain of the world can numb and paralyze us, and compassion has an empowering notion, the desire to help and create change. The important question is: How do we turn this desire into action?
A practice that cultivates compassion is Mettā meditation, rooted in Buddhist traditions and introduced to the West by teachers such as Sharon Salzberg. During this meditation, also known as loving-kindness meditation, we strengthen our ability for unconditional benevolence towards all. How? By directing wishes of well-being towards yourself — a person you love — a “neutral” person that doesn't evoke strong feelings — a person you are experiencing conflict with or have in the past — all beings. Of course, some steps might feel harder and need some practice. You can also start by focusing your meditation on just one of these steps, moving on after a time, when it feels right.
What also inspired me this month is seeing how many people have joined together to take action, to volunteer, to offer homes, to demonstrate, to donate, and to show solidarity. I think this is something we can and should all do: Honestly ask ourselves what we can personally contribute. If we all do our bit, it adds up.
For this month's “mindfulness on the go challenge”, I invite us, to commit to staying aware of how we can offer small acts of kindness throughout our day. Maybe it's opening a door for someone, offering your seat, a smile, a kind word. Maybe it's donating or volunteering. Find at least one opportunity a day. Let’s remind each other to be kind, to be more patient, to support each other, and to listen.
Local tip Germany: Do you know FlexHero? A friend recommended this app to me, and it helps connect volunteers and organisations in an easy and flexible way.
Staying informed via trusted media outlets is important, that goes without saying. At the same time, not to drown in the sheer amount of bad news, I find it helpful to limit my daily news consumption to dedicated time slots and try to avoid news right before sleeping. That being said, I have not yet mastered the art of not checking the news after getting up (… and yes, Instagram too…). Speaking of Instagram: to add some “good news” to my feed I like to also follow accounts like the goodnews_movement. This gives me hope, helps restore my belief in humanity or simply puts a smile on my face. I'm sure there are many more accounts like this, and I'd love to hear your recommendations.
Peonies are amongst my all-time favorite flowers and I can't wait for them to be in bloom again. Until then I will admire the beauty of Julia Diven's art. Isn't this oil painting just stunning and so photorealistic, that you almost believe you can touch the petals or smell the scent? The Ukrainian artist graduated from Kharkiv School of Fine Arts and Design and says about herself, that she: “…is fascinated by the aesthetics of traditional still life so perfectly executed by the old masters.” You can find and purchase Julia Diven's work here.
Another inspiring Ukrainian artist I came across is Julia Beliaeva, who bridges new technologies (3D scanning, 3D modeling, 3D printing, and virtual reality) with the materiality of porcelain. Her works, often sculptures, rethink media in the ever-changing virtualized world, question how technology affects us, and reminisce the heritage of lost Ukrainian ceramic traditions. “I love porcelain and its semantic load. Porcelain is about fragility but at the same time the material is very strong, just like humans.”, Julia Beliaeva. Click here for the full interview with the artist.
I am sure anyone who can and wants to donate has already found their trusted organizations, so I will not add another list. But I would like to share one initiative with you, that is still running until March 31: UNITED PHOTOGRAPHERS FOR UKRAINE are raising donations for the Kyiv’s Children's Hospital (Ohmadyt), and the International Red Cross. International contemporary fashion, art, architecture, and portrait photographers donated one of their pictures to support this project. Each picture will be purchasable online for €100 and will be printed in A4 format on Fine Arts Paper. All proceeds are donated.
Photo: Felicity Ingram, Together
Music speaks when words can't.At first, I was hesitant to add a playlist this month, it initially felt like the “wrong thing” to do… At the same time, there was a lot of anxiety stuck in my body and it is through movement, that I can also move through my emotions — pain and joy equally — to let go, release and uplift. Music and movement as a way of feeling it all. If you also feel like shaking some tension off, flowing intuitively, or singing it out, I hope the March playlist can support you.
This is it for now. Thank you so much for taking the time to read the second edition and I'm so grateful to welcome you back for the next inspiration letter on 24 April. Until then I wish you strength as well as moments, when you can still feel joy in between it all,
yours Victoria
P.S.: If you don't know me and wonder who I am, you can find a little more about me here. And if you missed the first edition you can always re-read the February inspiration letter.
