Small Things
How I’m trying to cope with the overwhelm.
I’m going to start out by saying: I don’t know what to write about today. Nothing I say will eliminate the evil and greed. I admit, I don’t understand why some people use their power to hurt others, especially when they have more than they need to live their own lives in luxury.
I see it. And I just shake my head in disbelief.
I do my best to be kind and good and understanding. I don’t feel I’m here to compete with others. I feel I’m here to help. Understand. Love. And create.
Creating helps.
Whether it’s making new ceramic reliefs, dabbling in watercolors, writing or crocheting creating something with my hands and heart helps me. It keeps me moving forward in spite of a world that wants to hold me back.
So, I roll my clay into an orchid like the one blooming in my kitchen.
And shape more clay into a Bluebird on a branch with flowers and a ladybug.
Roll out more clay and press a fir branch into to make a tree. Scratch mountains in the distance and paint a sunset with underglazes like a watercolor on clay.
At night, as I relax and escape into a cooking show, I get out my yarn. And start making freeform crochet piece using leftovers in my yarn stash. I thought it was going to be a cardigan, but it seems to be shaping into a drawstring bag? I don’t know.
And it really doesn’t matter what you or I create today. What matters is putting creative energy out there to balance the destructive energy. To surround the fear with color and light and softness and love.
Yes, we have to create in spite of all that’s going on around us. To create is to dream of a better day.
To see through a different lens and to love the beauty in the world around us.
I’m so glad you’re here. If you enjoyed my words and art, please hit the heart button and restack, It helps others find me. Susan Gallacher-Turner is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Hi Susan,
This is so meaningful. Sometimes, I wonder if what I write matters. There's so much evil and corruption and nothing I write changes any of that. "Nothing I say will eliminate the evil and greed." So true. But as you so wisely said, we're not here to compete or to necessarily eliminate greed and evil. What we are here to do is to be kind, to try to understand and help others, and to create. Creating is putting good out into the world. That is pretty important after all.
I love your art. It definitely puts good out into the world. Thank you for sharing your words, wisdom, and art with us.
I always enjoy your words. Thank you for your creative practice - and sharing it with the rest of us. I have faith in us all. The ones who are quietly kind. There are so many of us but because we are quiet we aren't always seen. I'm trying to do something about the overwhelm and writing about one idea just recently.