Dec 15: Hope
Do you have hope?
Breathe. In. Breathe. Out.
Where is hope found in your body?
Breathe. In. Breathe. Out.
Where is hope restricted in your body?
Breathe. In. Breathe. Out.
Where is hope released in your body?
Breathe. In. Breathe. Out.
Do we NEED hope? Is hope necessary?
Does hope NECESSITATE an action? Is hope the CONSEQUENCE of actions?
In her book, “Living Resistance”, Kaitlin B. Curtice asks “What do you hope for in your lifetime and in the lifetimes of those who come after you (pg. 138).” Personally, my hope is that we all can breathe clean air. That we all can drink clean water. That we all can eat nutrient-rich food from the soil. That we all can have peace within community. And that we still have icebergs, forests, and birds. This is my hope for myself, my children, and all those who come after me. But, what do I do with that hope NOW?
In a Somatic Abolitionism program I was taking in 2023, facilitator Jennifer-Lee Koble asked, “What if we don’t have hope? What if we have RESPONSIBILITY regardless of hope?” For some reason, this resonated with me and I started to become curious about what I feel in terms of hope and what others say about hope. Dr. Jane Goodall expands on these questions of hope and shares: “Hope is often misunderstood. People tend to think that it is simply passive wishful thinking: I hope something will happen, but I’m not going to do anything about it. This is indeed the opposite of real hope, which requires action and engagement.”
ACTION. ENGAGEMENT. RESPONSIBILITY.
Several years ago, I was preparing for a public presentation to the arts community and I was told by a colleague to include some hope in my presentation. I wondered what they meant. How could I offer hope, I wondered, if my hope is different than your hope? Isn’t hope personal? When does it become communal?
Brené Brown describes hope in her book “The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are” in this way: “Hope is not an emotion; it’s a way of thinking or a cognitive process. Emotions play a supporting role, but hope is really a thought process made up of what Snyder calls a trilogy of goals, pathways, and agency. In very simple terms, hope happens when:
we have the ability to set realistic goals (I know where I want to go)
we are able to figure out how to achieve those goals, including the ability to stay flexible and develop alternative routes (I know how to get there, I’m persistent, and I can tolerate disappointment and try again).
we believe in ourselves (I can do this!).”
Once again, hope requires ACTION, AGENCY, and FLEXIBILITY.
Geraldine M Ysselstein, “Hope” (2024). Cotton embroidery and paint.
This word art used dried flowers dipped in paint to create something new and the stitching of the word hope.
So, what do I hope for with this blog? I began this blog a year ago in January 2024 with this statement “My hope is that my thoughts and questions might spark a new connection for both of us.” My hope in this blog (and my life) is that our experience of arts, culture, creativity, and storytelling might move us into action, responsibility, and engagement (of social change and social justice) beyond the entertainment, aesthetics, commodity, and prestige of the arts. Moving us towards a decolonial future as shared on this website. This future is going to require some composting, letting go, allowing ideas to die, and creating space to create something new.
It is my hope that we can do this. One stitch, word, and action at a time.
Questions:
What is your hope? What is your hope connected to arts, culture, creativity, and storytelling?
Who do you share your hope with? How do you share it?
Do you need hope?
