War News for Depressives
Political Self-Preservation
I was going to send an ANNIEGRAM today with a poem about George Clooney’s hair implants, but in light of the recent events in Ukraine, I’m going to pivot a bit.
Obviously, my niche in writing isn’t as a political newsletter. I’m mostly here to help people feel ok about failing at art and give people permission to take breaks and laugh at memes about anxiety.
At my very core, I’m a wildly sensitive empathetic depressive and believe it’s a human’s right to mitigate external input for mental health.
However, I’m also actively political and believe it’s a citizen’s responsibility to stay informed—not for points, not for conversation, not for status, but for the empathy and intention that grows with an awareness of the world around us, and the tangible way that it equips us to show up in our lives, days, and political systems as agents for good instead of indifference.
In the past, I’ve felt easily overwhelmed by the weight of the world. A single vivid image of trauma or pain could send me into a sob-spiral, feeling like I’m trying to navigate the rest of my waking hours while being buried under pounds of sand.
I’ve had to get better—more selective, more protective—about the media I consume, while still remaining engaged with the (often terrible) bullshit that’s going down on this planet.
That being said, here are some articles from people who know way more about this than I do. These have informed me this week, and even encouraged me. It’s important to completely understand the utter shit-ness of what’s happening and take it seriously, and, at the same time, consume media about the people, systems, and communities that are showing up to meet it.
Calamity Again: No nation is forced to repeat its past. But something familiar is taking place in Ukraine.
Eight sobering realities about Putin’s invasion of Ukraine
Rick Steves thoughts on Ukraine, cancels stops in Russia
Thousands of Russians protest President Vladimir V. Putin’s assault on Ukraine
Want to support the people in Ukraine? Here's how you can help
As always, sometimes I hate it here but I always hold hope for humans.
XO,
Annie