Janette Watt (she/they)
@janettewatt
ONE DRIVING PURPOSE: A better world for all of us. Janette has been an advocate in her roles as lawyer, academic, policymaker, and now activist-writer - AND has NO INTENTION OF EVER SLOWING DOWN! FIND Janette's Writing:
In a difficult world sometimes we need to be with magic ... however it may come to us, or however we create it. More this week here: janettewatt.substack.com #difficultTIMES #coping #imagination #comfort #kindness #friendship #loneliness #joy #writers #poets #artists #THINKERS #DOERS #childhood
I worry about our world, about all of you who I consider "us" and I reflect on my part in making our world more safe, healthy, happy, free. I often reach for those who have become my guides. This morning? Audre Lorde - her wisdom compiled by Alexis Pauline Gumbs in "Survival Is a Promise". #US #HOPE
We support many environmental groups but -- we want to do more!! If you are part of a solution please reach out to me and tell me what more we can do together ... for ourselves, our children, and our children's children. #climate #wildfires #CLIMATEaction #THINKERS #DOERS #ORDINARYpeople #HOPE
I drew a picture this morning using some of my childhood memories. As it turns out they're forever in my heart. It's the purple cave where Puff (aka "the magic dragon") and I once lived by the sea. I wrote about the importance of returning to these places here: janettewatt.substack.com Join me?
What we had as children to help us carry on even in difficult times - we can have again. Like the joy and magic that Puff the Magic Dragon brought so many of us. Find more here: janettewatt.substack.com The beautiful painting by Iryna Smoronska and is found here www.saatchiart.com/.../Pain.../...
Last night I imagined dragons - again. I’ve lived my life thinking I needed to be very serious and angry. I still feel an overwhelming need to help change our world for the better but I also feel joy returning to me in less constrained ways. Read more here janettewatt.substack.com/p/do-you-rem...
...what writer do besides write? Well, some of this (see photo below). #writers #poets #thinkers #summer #reading #conversation #friendship #companionship #soulmates #icedcoffee
The past two days I've reread Rilke's "Letters to a Young Poet". So much heart and wisdom. Then this morning I read a post from someone in pain about to give birth finding comfort in his poem "Go to the Limits of Your Longing". Beautiful). Coincidence? More on this Monday: janettewatt.substack.com
Can a hyper rationale individual also be a joyful creator? I hope so. I've spent my life often having to be the fact-filled cynic in the room - while fully being aware that without imagination and joy we won't survive - individually or collectively. I reflect on that here: janettewatt.substack.com
Have we become afraid to connect? We follow, we friend, we DM, and we text but what about TRULY, MEANINGFULLY CONNECTING? It's important you know. I'm reflecting on it for my next post. #connection #friendship The beautiful painting by Franz Krischke titled "Old Clock" is found here: renjeau.com
This is one of the books that's next to me on my shelf as I write. Sometimes it's the tilte alone that inspires me, knowing that he asked that question of himself and then tried to answer it honestly (or so it feels to me). What do you think of it? Have you read Orwell's Roses?
We were born to imagine, we were born for joy! Excerpt from this week's post: "...imagining with joy allows us to free our minds more — and our bodies too. And oh, then what marvellous things we will do! ..." Come and imagine with me - a beautiful world! janettewatt.substack.com/p/a-flying-p...
Many of us need to re-learn how to feel and move through ALL our feelings. Read more here janettewatt.substack.com under the title: "TOXIC POSITIVITY: WE NEED TO BREAK THE CYCLE" The art I laid my words upon is Nik Ad titled "SELF-CENSORED" found here saatchiart.com/adamniklewicz #TOXICPOSTIVITY
Adrienne Rich's quote is from her poem "Sources" found in her collection titled "The Dream of a Common Language". I believe we already have a common language, one that we all need to express -- it originates in our hearts. Read more here: janettewatt.substack.com/p/toxic-posi...
DON’T mistake toxic positivity for optimism. It's denial, dismissive, and invalidating of the human experiences we ALL need to feel. We hurt ourselves and others if we don't break the cycle of toxic positivity. Read more here: janettewatt.substack.com/p/toxic-posi... #coping #resilience #caring
A GOOD FAMILY WAS THE TARGET OF HATE. "Word spread quickly through the small town of what had happened at the family’s bakery. And even as the oldest generation stood there holding one another, people from the community arrived to help. ..." Read more here: janettewatt.substack.com/.../a-good-f....
EVERYWHERE people are standing up to hate! We're letting neighbours subject to hate know that they're not alone, we're here for them! Here's another story similar to the one I wrote this week: www.instagram.com/p/DZPzUk5KpL... The story I wrote and one more is here: janettewatt.substack.com #Hope
How will you respond when you see your neighbours threatened? Not because of what they've done but because they've been targeted out of phobic hatred. How will you let them know you stand with them and against hatred? Others have and we can too. Read more here janettewatt.substack.com #ANTIhatred