Curiosity, Ingenuity, & Hope
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Hello friends, Last week, I talked about encountering foxglove on a city sidewalk, and asked how your heart was. But the foxglove also got me thinking: Who first figured out it could be used to help with heart disease? I’m always amazed at the ancestors who figured these medicines out. Who would think that these lovely pink bells would be useful for more than their beauty? Who first figured out we could cure olives and eat them? Who was it that experimented enough to know that the bark of a willow tree helped headaches, or that spider webs could be used to reduce bleeding? And don’t get me started on mushrooms. So many varieties! So many are edible! So many are… very much not. The thing that strikes me about human ingenuity, is that it is filled with curiosity and hope. Ingenuity is not just a human trait, of course, we see the same in crows, chimps, octopuses, and many other animals. Sometimes curiosity and hope are driven by necessity, but other times, by a sense of play or simply wanting to figure something out. When we embrace hope and invoke curiosity, a new world opens to us. All of a sudden, things that may have felt impossible are filled with possibilities. Excitement may arise, or determination. The thing that does not arise? Apathy or a sense of defeat. What helps keep you curious about the world? What compels you to tinker or experiment? And last: What helps you embrace hope? Best wishes — Thorn
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T. Thorn Coyle
Hello friends, Folklore tells us of magical cities and villages that appear out of nowhere, and disappear again. I like to think that these stories are rooted in real events and real communities. I myself, have found magic in such places, time and time again. Last week, I was off grid at a lovely camping event in a small valley surrounded by tree filled mountains. There was a creek, and on the forest paths, some community members had planted ceramic toadstools, squirrels embracing acorns, and...
Hello friends, As you read this, I'm out camping with friends outside of cell and wifi range. So, to simplify things this week, I'm leaving you one photo and a podcast! First, the photo. It's from one of those moments where I'm reminded, once again, amidst the very real horrors, how much I love this world. Just look at that bumblebee on those bright pink sweat pea flowers. Amazing, yes? Photo: Bumblebee on Sweetpeas Next, I wanted to share the latest episode of Magic, Creativity, and Life....
Hello friends, There’s an artist—or perhaps an arts collective—here in the Pacific Northwest that makes wooden dragon heads with glass teeth and jeweled eyes made of old CDs. The dragons are always painted in bold colors, and attached high up wood utility poles, so it seems as if they are roaring to the sky. I love that part. The roaring to the sky, part. I also love how bright and colorful these dragons are, and how carefully thought out, even if they are made of scraps of wood and outdated...