Do you have a mantra that helps you through tough times?
My late grandmother, rest her soul, was very devout and lived by phrases like “Everything works out for the best” and often said “This, too, shall pass”.
In these uncertain times and adversity, I often use these phrases as mantras for mindfulness. I want to believe them. I want to believe that she’s right. I wonder what she would say if she could see our current situation.
“Everything works out for the best” and “This, too, shall pass”. They have given me peace of mind before. Mindfulness might not seem like much, but it really is effective in bringing peace of mind.
This painting depicts a water elemental and an earth elemental reunited, briefly, in the middle of drought. Somewhat akin to Perseus saving Andromeda.
I painted this scene during the 2021 drought, very much in the pandemic mindset, lonely for my friends and fed up with the general tumult. Not just to raise awareness that we must address the climate, but also to create a fanciful image, not unlike the gods and heroes of Ancient Greek mythology in Sandro Botticelli's works, that anthropomorphises the natural world. It's meant to create a tender moment in the middle of uncertain times.
We all need comfort in the middle of uncertain times. It brings to mind the emotionally raw protest of Waymond Wang in Everything, Everywhere, All At Once;
"I know you are all fighting because you are scared and confused. I'm confused too. All day, I don't know what the heck is going on. But somehow, this feels like it's all my fault. I don't know. The only thing I do know... is that we have to be kind. Please, be kind - especially when we don't know what's going on."
It's a quote that had resonated with me and he's right. It can be easy to forget this philosophy in the middle of chaos, especially when confronted with conflict, but kindness and courtesy are nothing to disregard. They go a long way, and in such a confusing and often scary world where everything seems to be falling apart, they really matter.
So many of us carry anxiety about the future. Why not approach with compassion?
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