The Art of Being

Hi my friend,

I have a question for you -
Do you believe that people are good?
Or do you believe we have to seek
the good ones out from the rest?

A few days ago a conversation guided me
to ponder this question.

And immediately, my answer was -
of course, people are good!

But the more I sit with it, the more I think -
maybe it's not about being good or bad at all.

Maybe we are all just people,
shaped by the stories we've lived,
doing what feels right based on 
what we've known.

Our actions, our choices, 
the way we move through the world  -
they don't appear from nowhere.

They are reflections of our experiences…
of what we've learned to believe about
about love, about ourselves
and the world around us. 

Our beliefs, our sense of self,
the way we interpret others -
it's all shaped by what we've lived.

And when we don't understand
someone's actions, or even our own,
perhaps the question isn't -
is this good or bad?

but…

What has this person been through
for this to make sense to them?

The cover image is a replica of Diego Velázquez's “Young Girl” by Latvian artist Adams Tills

I believe that are like paintings -
layered,  fluid, shaped by every experience
that has washed over us,

leaving each of us different,
each of us unfolding
in ways that can't be
boxed in.

Do I believe everyone is good? 
No.

There are people who cause harm, 
who leave behind pain and suffering 
like heavy strokes of paint that can't be erased.

Not everything in this world is painted 
in rosy colors.

And yet… 
I still believe in its beauty.

Not because we are perfect.
Not because kindness always wins.
But because even in a world that holds cruelty, 
there is also deep love.

Most of us are not all light or all shadow.
We are both…
contrasts and contradictions, 
messy and real.

Trying, failing, learning.
Carrying pain, and still offering love.

You are a whole painting.

And,  just by existing, 
you make this world 
more beautiful, 
my friend.


With love,
Elina