Returning readers of Humanitou will recognize some currents that run through the conversations. The line I use to describe the site’s purpose is: “Stories of Humanness + Creativity.”
In the heart of that tagline is passion, the warm-blooded energy that compels any one of us — all of us — to pursue the life, its expressions and the connections we do.
Whether I’ve asked about passion or not during the give-and-take of any Humanitou conversation, the feeling, if not explicitly the word, almost inevitably comes out. It’s a common thread tying so many of us together, an undercurrent propelling us through.
This post is a pause to spotlight a few of the pulses of passion shared by those who have talked with Humanitou in the first nine-ish months of its life.
If you have your own insights, wonderings or comments to share on this topic, as always, the comments section is open below. Share passion that’s yours.
From Ros Prado … Going Head First
The experience I’ve had in my life, if you’re doing work that you’re passionate about, I feel like doors start opening up, the universe is like, “Yes, this is what you’re supposed to be doing.”
Passion to me is the biggest thing, and a lot of yoga practices actually ask you to be dispassionate because passion creates attachment and you’re trying to get away from that. But I feel like that is what we came to do here.
I don’t think we came here to tame our passions. I think we came here to discover them and then to just go head first. That’s my thing, to go head first with your passion and then doors will open up.
From Nikos Pulos … Self-Expression
Putting art out into the universe is essentially all the little secrets that you have are going into what you’re doing, your expression.
Right now, (my art is) about the experience. It’s the relationship with the craft. It’s also me getting to know me. It’s that journey.
From Layla Redding … on Human Connections
Healing is a big part of what motivates me to do the things that I do. …
I like communication. I think it’s good to take the time to get to know people and their stories. Sometimes that’s all it takes for somebody to soften. We all want to be cared about.
From Dustin Booth … on Admiration
I have admiration for people who just do what they love. If you are truly committed to putting your time and your energy towards your passion, even if it’s a complete uphill battle but it’s worth it to you and you know that this is who you are, I think that’s an admirable thing.
It takes courage and it takes blind, dumb luck sometimes. You probably have to grow a thick skin and you, probably, have to open yourself to being sensitive, too. If you are able to go and make your life beautiful and, by extension, make the lives of others around you beautiful, then I think that’s an admirable thing.
From Jeremy Tackett … on Biodynamics
What I’ve learned through biodynamics is that, for me, it can be a way of life through the philosophy, that getting closer to the source, having a thirst or curiosity on how to explore or locate the periodic table as it exists in nature. That’s what’s big.
In so many ways, because we’ve disconnected from nature, that which we belonged to so long ago, we no longer see these opportunities to behave holistically. And within biodynamics, one of the main things we employ is holistic management. There’s a whole bunch of systems and beings, and how are those going to be interconnected?
But it’s not enough to say we manage our herd or our land holistically, we need to behave holistically. We must. And to behave holistically, we look at another being’s needs before our wants.
From Kat Tudor … on Yoga
Yogis say that your thoughts become your words, then your words become your deeds, your deeds become your habits, your habits become your life, your dharma, what you’re doing with yourself, what you’re doing right now on this planet. What’s that start with? It starts with your thoughts. A thought is so powerful.
There are many paths. The body teaches us a lot. When you listen to it, because your body, mind and spirit are connected, you start getting deeper messages. The purpose is to make you whole, to make you connect your mind, your body and your spirit.
From Courtney Henslee … on Trying New Things
For a minute, I’d get really high on it, “I just started something new! And I got a new website and a new blog!” God knows how many blogs I have in the world. (laughs)
I was angry with myself. And then I’d find something I was really excited about, “Fine, whatever! Who cares about all that other stuff I did!” And I’d wash that away in my mind and start new. And I wish that I had not beat myself up so much.
I think coming to the realization, finally, that we can remake ourselves over and over and over again, and just stop whatever everybody else says you should be doing. Even if you do it for five minutes for five years, it’s going to play into your story again later on.
From Luke Cissell … on Art
There’s a quote that says poetry is religion because it shows you the connection in everything. I’ve held onto that, because I’ve thought any art for yourself becomes, in essence, I feel, like your religion, your spiritual practice, which turns you inward and has you focused.
In chopping [vegetables], that’s your meditative Buddhist moment when you’re just completely into this one little thing, this one task that’s shutting down your mind and allowing you to be.
My second thing is art is God, and that we’re all practicing it to kind of find God, in essence, no matter what your god is, no matter what you call God or believe. You’re just on a journey to find that.
