Take heart and call upon your muses!
Winter Solstice, Courage, Creativity & Midwinter greetings from We Belong
Dear friends,
I am writing to you from a small cabin in the mountains. Embracing the Winter Solstice in a home that smells of bergamot and coffee. With my two cats curled around the sunshine. As the light closes in here in the northern hemisphere and lengthens in the southern, I choose to see it as a metaphor for this heart-breaking time of rupture and unmourned losses in the life of the world.
As far back as I can remember, I have been fascinated by creativity and its power to transform the raw materials of our sadness, grief, or anger into envisioning this hardship as a spectrum of colors, a gift wrapped in possibility. My conversation this month with Jasmine Anouna came as a much-needed reminder that, even at the worst of times, darkness cohabits with light, and hope and kindness persist even as the planet absorbs a magnitude of suffering and injustice. And that courage, together with creativity, is the engine of change.
To define or summarize what Jasmine “does” is simply not possible. For she has converged her aspirations, gifts, and life mission into a singular vocation and perspective on the world: being an intersectional feminist and poet, advocating for the power of storytelling and creativity to reveal our truths. She is also the founder of The Bloom, a global home for social impact.
We talked about social entrepreneurship, the role of creativity amid climate crisis and wars, the power of words to connect us, how not fitting in at school can help a young woman create safe places for others later on in life, and many, many more.
You can read the interview here.
More from We Belong 💜
“How to reach Gen Z”
🗣️Enjoy Yasmine’s conversation with the inspiring Cecilia Said Vieira, a social entrepreneur, marketing & communication expert, and founder of the podcast “Ceci, Do You Love Me?”
Cabinet of Curiosities
Inhabiting a creative life means choosing its intrinsic whimsy over the ingrained seriousness. Amid the everyday hustle and bustle we hardly ever have the luxury of exploring the obscure and little-visited corner of the mind, our Imagination. We find ourselves craving for inspiration, stuck within a narrow, cliched cul-de-sac of activities.
Whether you’re feeling stuck in the relentless negative spirals of a creative block, or you have a deadline looming, these tips will help you discover your authentic approach and invigorate the experience of creativity.
First light pages
I call them Coffee scribbles and here’s how they work: At 6:00 in the morning, you’ve got the world to yourself. (Hoot your boot, morning grouches!) In the time it takes to make a cup of coffee, just sit down and let everything come to you. A pure stream-of-consciousness writing. In longhand. It was not without reason that Ray Bradbury kept a sign over his typewriter saying “Don’t think!“ for over 25 years. Coffee Scribbles help you clear all the thoughts that are constantly floating around your mind. They center you. What emerges eventually is your authentic voice. Unfettered, frank. And this is where you start generating ideas.
Have a YES-day
It’s a cakewalk, really. All you have to do is say “YES”. To everything! For you to get into a flow state, I encourage you to challenge yourself and do things outside your strike zone. It won’t lead you astray, I promise. PS: ask Shonda!
Always have your notebook with you
Ideas have the delightful habit of showing up when least expected. So be prepared to bring them into the physical world. Collect those.
🎧Creativity and the Everyday Brain Neuroscientist Rex Jung has found that creativity is distinct from intelligence and involves a shift from a rigid to a more flexible mindset. His research links creativity to family life, aging, and purpose. Additionally, humor, which involves unexpected turns of thought, is a form of everyday creativity that can be cultivated by all.
🧭YearCompass is a free guide that helps you evaluate the past year and set out a path you want to walk on in 2024. With a series of carefully curated questions and exercises, it guides you in identifying your patterns and creating a fulfilling year for yourself.
🎙️Podcast Recommendations
🕵Opportunities
🌍Othering&Belonging Institute, Berkley Summer Fellowship (Deadline: Jan 14, 2024, 8:00 pm PST)
💻Nala Feminist Collective: Content Creator
🌍Rise Program (Deadline: Jan 17, ages 15-17)
BE Communication and Learning Manager (Deadline: Jan 14)
🌍Take part in the 2024 cohort of beVisioneers Mercedes-Benz (Deadline: Jan 15, ages 16-28)
🌍The Global Good Fund Fellowship Program
Free online Creativity Workshop: Looking Back and Letting Go: Processing 2023 (Date: December 31, 5:00 - 6:30 pm GMT)
Free Online Workshop: Setting Boundaries & Saying No (Date: Jan 17, 4:00 - 5:30 pm GMT)
Free Workshop: Resilient and regenerative teamwork (Date: Jan 30, 4:00 - 5:30 pm GMT)
🌳⚖️ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
Submit your environmental solution to National Geographic’s Slingshot Challenge (Deadline: Feb 1, ages 13-18)
NOAA: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration Ocean Guardian Youth Ambassador Program (Deadline: Jan 5, ages 13-18)
One Young World’s China-United States Exchange Foundation (CUSEF) Young Leaders Scholarship 2024 (Deadline: Jan 31, ages 18-30)
Join the Youth Advisory Congress Gulf of Mexico Youth Climate Summit
(Deadline: Jan 1, ages 17-25)
Participate in the Freshwater and Community Conservation Remote Externship, National Geographic The Nature Conservancy (Deadline: Jan 15, ages 18-25)
💼INTERNSHIPS
FR Plan International: Assistant.e Plaidoyer - https://genderjobs.org/jobs/1589 (Deadline: Dec 31)
FR Intern at OECD - OCDE
FR Equipop: Assistant·e Plaidoyer et Mobilisation Citoyenne (Deadline: Jan 3)
CH International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC): Associate, Addressing Sexual Violence
US Council on Foreign Relations Intern, Digital Content, Podcast
🌍FR OECD Internship Programme (open on an ongoing basis)
🫴VOLUNTEERING
UK Plan International: Trustees
US GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD): Graphic Design & Multimedia Intern
US GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD): Legal Intern
💻Global Girl Project: Volunteer Team Leads
👩🎓𝗨𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗮 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱-𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗠𝗕𝗔 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲
You can experience the identical MBA Program curriculum offered by prestigious institutions. 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗕𝗔 𝗗𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀:
𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽: Inspiring and Motivating Individuals - University of Michigan.
𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿: Organizational Analysis - Stanford University.
𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸: High-Performance Collaboration: Leadership, Teamwork, and Negotiation - Northwestern University.
𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: Marketing Innovative Products and Services - University of Maryland, College Park.
Business & Health: Improving Your Business Through a Culture of Health - Harvard University.
𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Strategic Management - Copenhagen Business School.
𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰𝘀: Microeconomics: The Power of Markets - University of Pennsylvania.
𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗰𝘀: Global Impact: Business Ethics - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆: Computer Science for Business Professionals - Harvard University.
𝗔𝗜: Elements of AI - University of Helsinki.
🤗Community building
Sisters In Social Impact (SIS); Freelancing Females; We Connect International
I wish you a restorative Christmastime, creative experiences, courage, and as much gentleness toward yourself as you can muster. I will meet you here again next year.
With blessings and love,
Iva