Let’s be frank: it doesn’t take a doctorate in political science to see that the world, in nearly every direction, is difficult to cope with and hard to thrive in at the moment. How do you get through each day, bombarded with more and more bad with every news notification and new post on social media and envision a better future for yourself and everyone else?
I think that the short answer is: together.
The long answer is: with a more complex and nuanced view of yourself, your community, your place in it, and how we can take care of each other as things all around get stranger and scarier.
This series aims to dive into that question. By introducing you to people who are actively enacting change and building the future that they (and we) dream of, I hope to bring a little hope and a little punk to the forefront of your mind.
Have you ever heard of the term “hopepunk?” Originally introducedexternal link, opens in a new tab to the world by fantasy author Alexandra Rowland as a counter to the term “grimdark”external link, opens in a new tab, it describes a literary theme that focuses on the strength of hope, especially when confronted with true and overwhelming adversity. She then went on to expand on that idealexternal link, opens in a new tab and said:
Hopepunk says that genuinely and sincerely caring about something, anything, requires bravery and strength. Hopepunk isn’t ever about submission or acceptance: It’s about standing up and fighting for what you believe in. It’s about standing up for other people. It’s about DEMANDING a better, kinder world, and truly believing that we can get there if we care about each other as hard as we possibly can, with every drop of power in our little hearts.
You are not alone in what I hope is your gaze towards the future. You are not alone in wanting to not just ask for, but demand a world where you feel safe and secure. Best of all, you are not alone in the fight to make that dream possible.
In this series, there won’t be easy, copy + paste remedies or platitudes of positivity. Instead, I’m offering real words of wisdom and advice from real people who are fighting the good fight in our very real world.
We all start where we can. Every small act of kindness we do, including for ourselves, is an act of resistance and humanity railing against the injustices that are ever present. You can feel the weight of serious and heartbreaking things without owning the sole responsibility of fixing them. However mighty and able to do great things any of us are, no one should be or feel expected to carry the social revolution alone. I want this series to help show you some people who are part of this work that belongs to and should be shared by all of us, and to offer you both wonder and hope in witnessing their work and vision.
