Connect with Ruika
Isn't connection why we're here?
One of the ultimate goals of creativity, I believe, is to invite and form connection. "To establish ties," as the fox movingly said to the little prince, "to tame."
Ethan Hawke poignantly described the role of self-expression and creativity as an invitation of "Hey, listen to me, and I'll listen to you." When we come out of our corners to express ourselves, we create a space for other to come out of their corners and tell their stories. A dialogue begins, and healing ensues.
As a reader that not only values the written words in general, but also the words of a specific writer, you're essentially establishing a relationship of "taming," of "establishing ties," with that writer. In the stories that I write, I aim to reveal themes that are as personal as they are universal. In this work of writing in solitude and connecting in community, I think both you and I will find that our lives aren't nearly as unique as we think they are. We have a lot more in common than we seem, in fact, regardless of where we're from and where we're going.
So I extend my invitation to you to come forward, out of your corners, see these words, and ponder over them. This exercise, this big job of spreading stories, memories, belonging, and discovering our communal nature, might just be the starting point of something unexpectedly beautiful in your life.
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