Winds Of Change
Winds Of Change
Seeking a sense of purpose, a reason for being.
An intense wind event blew through Southern California recently, with winds reaching sixty miles per hour in the Los Angeles area. The gusts knocked out power, toppled trees and blocked roads. Our enormous, heavy firestick plant went tumbling across the backyard. I watched out the window and listened to the roar in eerie disbelief. Here I was, at the same moment, blustering amidst my own personal, strong winds of change.
I’m writing this newsletter from a new home in Eagle Rock, on the evening before I start a new job. I’m signing off on production for an art book I made last year with my husband. I just booked an appointment to chop off my hair next month. Change is coming, change is here.
I had hit a wall again, feeling so perplexed about my purpose in life, in my career, in my relationships. I knew I needed to do things differently. As a longtime freelancer and entrepreneur, I can be on top of the world or at the bottom of the barrel — sometimes in the same day. I’m tired.
I’ve been on the hamster wheel and stuck in a reactionary approach to my life, and it was time to kind of burn it all down and rebuild. On a flight to visit my parents last week, I listened to a podcast on the Japanese philosophy of ikigai. Ikigai is a concept that blends two words: “iki” meaning “to live,” and “gai” meaning “reason,” and refers to something that gives a person a sense of purpose, or a reason for being.
The ikigai diagram shows four areas of convergence: what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. The very center, where each area overlaps, is your ikigai, and what you should aim for to find ultimate fulfillment. I notice how I frequently gallop towards one without the other, and this framework brought a new lens to something I’ve struggled with for years. I’ve found myself jotting down words like stability, structure and community.
Speaking of community, I am so happy to announce that Kristine Claghorn and I are hosting another free, 30-minute virtual event next Friday, April 5th at 9:30am PT. Kristine will be sharing a lesson, tools and practices on building self-worth, and you can register for free via this link.
I have some other exciting announcements about work, life and creative projects that I can’t wait to share with you soon, so please stay tuned. And I’m sorry this note came so late into this month — I’ve got an inspiring Still Life conversation also coming to your inbox this weekend, so you’re not getting rid of me quite yet.
With Love,
Elise
NOTEWORTHY
—“Women Holding Things” by Maira Kalman.
—How to get shit done on days you don’t feel like it. Swipe through the whole thing, it’s so good.
PLEASURE
Report Magazine has some of the most beautiful imagery I’ve seen in a long while.
The perfect pair of pants that I will definitely be buying myself for my birthday.
A “life-changing loaf of bread” — one of my favorite easy breakfasts that I’ve been making on repeat this month.
CONTEMPLATING
Steps To Build Self-Worth. Kristine Claghorn shares a precursor to our free virtual event next Friday.
Millennials And Gen-Z Want Original Movies And TV, Not Remakes. Can’t say I disagree with this!
The Supper Club Turning Strangers Into Friends. Including five great questions to ask at a dinner party.
Photo Credit: Villa Empain, The Boghossian Foundation, by Tom Dagnas.