Holding It All:

Art, Anger, and the Choice to Stay Awake

This morning I woke up with a swirl of thoughts competing for space inside my chest.
Some were about the state of our country—about the threat of military force being used against civilians by a man still seeking power.
Some were about art—specifically the quiet, sacred moments when a stranger stands in front of one of my paintings and visibly exhales

.
And some were about my body—what I put into it, how I care for it, and the simple choice to eat something gentle instead of skipping breakfast

.

It might seem like whiplash to move between these topics, but to me, it felt like integration.

Because I am not a one-dimensional person.
And neither are you.

We can care about the misuse of power and be deeply moved by a soft field of lavender rendered in paint.
We can rage at the silence of those who should speak up and feel lit up by the kind words of someone who sees us—really sees us—through our creative work.
We can feel our nervous system soften with magnesium and a hot cup of coffee and still hold the fire of justice in our bones.

The truth is: we get to choose what we respond to.
We don't have to shut out the world to stay sane, and we don’t have to shut down our joy to prove we’re paying attention.
We can hold it all. Maybe not all at once. Maybe not with perfection. But we can hold it.

This morning, I responded to what felt most important in each moment.
I responded to injustice with clarity.
I responded to art with reverence.
I responded to my body with care.
And none of those responses canceled the others out.

They layered.

They wove together into a life that feels real—not curated, not performative, not simplified for the comfort of others.
Just real.

And I think that’s the invitation I want to extend today.
You’re allowed to feel many things about the world.
You’re allowed to stay informed without being consumed.
You’re allowed to create beauty while holding pain.
You’re allowed to feed yourself well, to speak up when it matters, and to step away from the noise when your heart needs quiet.

You don’t have to live in the corner of your life.
You don’t have to flatten yourself to be digestible.

Let the fullness of who you are speak.
That’s the revolution.
That’s the art.
That’s the response.

—Monica