It's been a rough time and I woke up earlier this week thinking “how the heck will we get through this?!”. And I hadn't looked at my phone1! My policy, as you know, is to draw or write in my sketchbook and have breakfast before turning on any devices other than the coffee pot. Yet all I could think of that morning, as I wrote in my sketchbook below, was that we'll get through by the development and maintenance of our curiosity and compassion. Then during breakfast I drew the blue cat drawing a nature-inspired mural. All while drawing I was thinking “and how the heck do we do that development of curiosity and compassion??!!”.
After finishing the drawing I realized I'm asking questions that are too large. So I looked again at my “lists of enjoyable things” book which I've written about previously.2 And I thought about how often a focus on joy can get me to a more curious and compassionate place within my own mind at least.
One of my favorite coffee table books to look at in times like these is by Shaun Usher titled “Lists of Note”.3
It contains all kinds of lists made by all kinds of people that helped them sort out whatever was on their minds. Some lists are silly some are serious and some have elements of both whimsy and wisdom in them. Some are just head scratchers. The variety is part of what I enjoy about this book. The book includes photos of typewritten or handwritten lists - like this handwritten one by Harry S. Truman. I enjoy the way Truman lists both things that were pleasant and things that were difficult for him. It's a visual reminder that ups and downs happen to everyone.
Other pages have photos of a person alongside their list. (A second photo below shows the list better.)
The next morning during breakfast I began a new sketchbook page that could have a list within it. I chose to do a new list in my sketchbook instead of in my “list of enjoyable things” book because I wanted to do a playful, cheerful drawing using my inks and paints and my sketchbook has the paper to handle that.
During a second breakfast session I added more color to the rabbit characters and the words.
During a third breakfast session I added still more ink and colors. And I thought about “joy” and what that word means to me. Joy isn't feeling of ecstatic happiness but rather a feeling of congruence with the aspects of life that matter most to me. (For more about tracking/noticing joy4 every day and the mental health benefits5 of doing that see the footnotes at the bottom.)
On a fourth morning I added more ink and color and began writing my new list on these pages.
A bit of order in a chaotic world is calming and I find comfort in making my own lists and in reading other people's lists. The added bonus of reaffirming my focus on the things that I care about the most is priceless.
Perhaps in a roundabout way the effort of noticing and getting curious about my own joy does seem to lead to more compassion - for myself and my friends if not for the entire world. When we maintain our hearts we maintain our hopes… and we can get through things together.6
Whatever helps … including blue bunny kisses … I'm for it.
Let's look out for each other.
Thank you for your ongoing patronage and support - it matters to me and I appreciate it. My most recent 144 page sketchbook is available in print here.
Play time records
I woke up recently thinking about my “things I enjoy” notebook and how much it's helped me. I looked again at my current “things I enjoy” notebook. It's 3.5 x 5 inches - small but important.
Shaun Usher has a Substack by the same title. https://open.substack.com/pub/listsofnote?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=47p4r
Loved this, with the pictures and all!
This was a great reminder! When I was first getting sober, in ‘95, my first sponsor gave me a journal and told me to write in it every night before sleep. “Write a list of at least 5 things you were grateful for today.”
Holey-moley! Some of those nights it was hard to come up with even 2 let alone 5! So I’d look around my bedroom and write down; “Bed, followed by, pillow. “ that was as good as it got on some nights. But of course the further away from a drink I got, the more I found to be grateful for. After 5 years, I was able to be grateful for the very first brand new car I ever had. I was so grateful I even got a vanity tag for it that read, “GRATUDE”.
Time to get back to writing out more gratitude lists. Maybe I’ll even fill them with cartoon animals too. 🫶🏻
Great piece, Sue. We need you!