[1] Surprise

My inbox is my treasure trove. When I don’t know what, I walk through the avenue of newsletters and every time ~ every time ~ inspiration finds me.

My phone gallery is my well of inspiration, too. I screenshot everything, and sometimes I play a little “surprise me” game → open the gallery, take a quick and loooong scroll down, and see where I land. A random snippet from the past is often exactly what I need to see/learn/find at that moment. 

It goes like this.

Every time I deep dive
into my archive’s heart,
I learn something new 
from people super smart,
find an inspiring piece of art, 
or a snippet of wisdom
that illuminates my path.

What can I do with these wonderful marvels at my fingertips?

That's is where Ethērea comes in. It's all about diving into the sea of inspiration and pulling the pearls up to the surface ~ sharing timeless wisdom, playing around to understand ourselves better, and finding beauty in the overlooked.

Welcome to the first edition 🕶️

A word of wisdom

Madhura Bhosale wrote a letter to herself. Typed the words into her phone on a bus ride. It was a moment to remember, but she didn't even think about it for the next two years.

Suddenly, there it was again. Came back to her when needed the most. "Reading it again felt like someone holding my hand, past me reminding present me that we’ve been here before… and we made it through," Madhura noted in her newsletter ~ Pauses and Pieces.

And that letter she wrote? It hits home.
Here it follows, in full.

Gentle Courage: The Push
Written on the bus, Feb 3, 2023
By Madhura Bhosale

I’ve always been a dreamer.
And lately…I'd like to believe, a doer too.

There are so many things I want to learn. To try. To become.
And in my mind, I already have.
I’ve imagined myself learning a new language, starting a side project, dancing more freely, finally writing that story, saying yes to things that scare me...

I’ve felt the high of it, the afterglow, the little sparkle of “yes, I did this.”
It feels like magic.
So wholesome.

And yet... I haven’t done them. Not really.

Sometimes I wonder…
What if I really did?
What would it feel like to hold that version of myself, real and breathing and proud?

But here’s the truth:
I get scared.
My heart races at the thought of taking that first actual step.
Not lazy. Just afraid.

I plan. I set timelines. I promise myself: This time I’ll do it right.
But often, I don’t.

And then comes the ache…
That quiet sadness of a dream left hanging.
Like a well inside me, deep and echoing with unfinished things.

Маybe all I need is a push.
One small push.
That gentle courage.
To jump.
To try.
To begin.

But who’s going to do that for me?
Should I wait?
Look for a mentor?
A sign?
An answer?

Or maybe…

Maybe I just count to three.
Breathe.
And leap.

1…2…3.

Sometimes we already know the answers. They are quietly sitting there, waiting to be rediscovered. We just need a trip back to ourselves.

A sense of play

Want to be taken by surprise, too?

Open your favorite app full of thoughts, quotes, screenshots, and moodboards that you've saved over time and scroll, scroll, scrooooll into the depths of this well.

Where did you land? Does this blast from the past still speak to you? Is it still true? Can you apply it to what you're working on right now?

If not applicable as it is, play with this idea/thought/screenshot – twist it, shake it, turn it around, zoom in and out, imagine it as a piece of a puzzle, find another angle, connect with other pieces. Now do you see it? Is it exactly what you needed to keep going?

May the gentle courage be with you ♥

A thing of beauty

A society "where we can all flourish, uphold dignity, value diversity, and honor our common humanity". Yes, please! 💪

That's the vision the artists saw while creating illustrations for the climate + migrations series with Fine Acts and Unbound Philanthropy.

Find these ~ and many more ~ on TheGreats.co, a platform for social impact art. All artworks are published under a Creative Commons license ~ free to share, remix, and adapt for non-commercial purposes.

What's left for me to say other than: Hello, my new friends. Welcome to this cozy little corner. Make yourself at home, and let's make some magic. Let's embrace, uplift, and support each other. Together, we will thrive!