'Hope is an Action' - Maoz Inon
'It's not something you find, not something you can lose. It's something you are making.'
Dear Friends,
In May, I stumbled on this Ted Talk conversation between Maoz Inon, an Israeli entrepreneur and peace activist and Aziz Abu Sarah, a Palestinian entrepreneur and peace activist (watch the whole interview here). These activists both work in the tourism industry alongside their peace-making. In our increasingly polarised societies watching their ‘third way’ of listening and hope is luminous, beautiful, moving and galvanising. They have both asked that followers amplify their voices, so that is what I aim to do as much as I am able. They can speak for themselves, if only we will take 17:29 minutes to listen. Listening is hard, isn’t it? It really is. Because listening might mean that we have to change, we might have to act.
A couple of people who I have shown this video to have commented, ‘if only there were more people like them in the world.’ I understand this point of view, but to me, it indicates distance and possibly despair. I have been reading and re-reading Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, and in one of her final chapters when talking about tackling Climate Change she writes, ‘despair is paralysis. It robs us of agency.’ And isn’t that true? Despair puts out the Good Fire inside us, just when we need it to be kindled. I light a candle when I work to set the time apart from the rest of my day and to remind me of the sacredness of creating. But perhaps it might also remind me of the sacred Fire inside, the Spirit of Good Love that inspires the verb of Hope.
Maoz Inon says a very profound thing about hope in this video. He says, ‘…hope is an action. It's not something you find, not something you can lose. It's something you are making.’
Abu-Sarah and Inon are not heroes or super-humans, they are people like us who are full of anger and full of hope. And they are making that hope themselves. Why can’t we, in our own ways, be more people like them? Craftivism is one really good way to start - it’s perfect for highly sensitive introverts, like me. Art is another way. And that is why, since seeing this conversation, I have been trying to make artwork about it, using appropriate colours from The Craftivist Collective Handbook (see my previous letter for more details about the Handbook).
Below is a photo of a watercolour inspired by the Ted conversation. Below that you can see a copy of the screenshot I took from the video a tracing I made and some other sketches and a print.
I don’t think I have finished this project, some of the lines I’ve made are nicer than others. I’m working with uplifting blues, turquoise for harmony, yellow for openness and clarity and pink for comfort in vulnerability.
I chose the moment in the conversation where Inan gives Abu-Sarah a very important gift - a mandala made by his mother (who was killed on October the 7th). I made a line that traced down one mans’ arm to the others connected by this gift. It makes and interesting and beautiful line. What moves out of that line is an atmosphere of hope, love, comfort, clarity and peace-building.
I don’t think I can make anything as beautiful as the work these humans and their colleagues are making, but it’s what I can do.
Please do follow Maoz Inon and Aziz Abu-Sarah along with that of peace-builder, Hamze Awawde who wrote recently, ‘Peace might seem “cute” and “weak” but it takes more energy, growth, and intelligence to turn an enemy into a friend than to create a new enemy, which is what violence and military actions usually lead to.’
And keep watching here for more art and let’s face it, activism. And vote on Thursday, obviously
Love,
Deb x
PS. My story, A Fairytale Ending is on view at MK Gallery’s MK Calling exhibition all summer - do go and see the exhibition if you can. It’s brilliant, it’s only £3 and the coffee is excellent too.
PPS. You can find me on Instagram for more.