Hello!

On Friday I watched Eno, the generative film about Brian Eno. The film is different each time it's shown, so if you see it twice in the theater, you don't watch the same film.

For streaming, they created a 24 hour event with different versions of the film showing sequentially, along with other related pieces. I tapped in and out throughout the 24 hours and loved it. The film is a love note to the creative process and it was such a gift. So much right now feels like life coming at us, and us reacting, and this film reminded me of the beauty of showing up for life, and creating.

Here’s one part of the film I’ve been thinking about:

Eno said that he thinks the key is not to focus on making something, because that fixes it into a product (I’m paraphrasing). Instead, he said, we can think of ourselves as planting something that will have its own life.

What a beautiful description of art – and life.

Rather than focusing on our products, we can see ourselves as planting seeds.

I make a podcast and have no idea where it will go from there, how things I say will show up in the conversations of other people, the ripples they will have in other people’s lives.

I wouldn’t have looked up the Eno film if a friend hadn’t posted on social media how much the film meant to her. She shared herself and a seed grew for me, halfway across the country.

I speak out at a community meeting and perhaps the vote still doesn't go my way, but I inspire others at the meeting to raise their own voices.

There’s so much in life that we do without certainty. We love, share, create – often while fretting, judging, and questioning – not knowing if we’re doing the right thing. Most of us spend so much time wondering if we're doing enough, if we are enough, if the things that we do make a difference.

Am I a good enough parent? Partner? Friend? Citizen?

Should I give to this non-profit or that one?

Am I wasting my time baking/growing herbs/knitting when there's so much that needs doing?

What happens when we shift to thinking of ourselves as gardeners, planting seeds? We plant with a vision of the garden, while also knowing that it is not all in our control. Sometimes a bird finds a seed and our flowers end up somewhere else, maybe even more beautiful.

Trust that the positive things you do -- all the ways you put yourself into the world with passion, creativity, love, and care -- have a life of their own.

This week, plant a seed or two. You may still spend much of the time reacting to life, and that's okay, but take a little time to do something -- create, love, put yourself and your values into the world -- and envision yourself a gardener . . . because you are. ❤️

One creative act that plants seeds is a Good List, a way to remind ourselves regularly of the things we care about, the things that give our life color and pleasure. Rather than being "extra," it's a daily activity that gives us strength and keeps us connected to who we are, and it's the topic of this week's episode.

​Ep #138: The Good List ​

Do you start your day with the news and then find yourself feeling down? Or would you just like an easy way to feel stronger, more resilient, less stressed? If so, The Good List is one simple but powerful tool. By intentionally naming what is good in our life, right now, we can train our brains to focus on the good, build emotional resilience, and bring more joy into our daily lives. I share simple ways to start your own good list, either alone or with a friend, to add positive emotional fuel to every day.

In the episode, I mention making these buns -- they were quite good.

​Tahini Chocolate Challah Buns recipe (from Smitten Kitchen) ​

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With lots of love & full belief in you,

Rachel

P.S. You might enjoy this interview with Brian Eno about the Oblique Strategies cards he created with Peter Schmidt. The idea is to take a card and follow what it says, to build creativity by thinking in new ways. What might your version look like?

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