The function of the artist in a disturbed society is to give awareness of the universe, to ask the right questions, and to elevate the mind.
—Marina Abramovic
Give the gift of questions this year (I think) because 2024 set fire to sanity, to freedom, to everything we thought we knew. By summer the simmering omens cranked up the temperature, by fall the crescendo of heat erupted, spewing chaos & carnage—red hot & creeping thick—ultimately parading all the wrong answers.
The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.
—Albert Einstein
So, in the dazzling spirit of the holidays, I prefer a zest to question—not contribute to the horrors of the national & global wrecking ball, nor succumb to the mundane. Instead, I revel in curiosity related to the uncanny, the certainty of uncertainty, and the lure of mercurial mysteries—beliefs & projections, intuition & superstition, maybe a hint of obsession and potential reconnection with a touch of star-crossed lovers. So far, this festive season, I’ve inhabited medieval witches, fantasized life as a Cirque de Soleil performer, pondered mirrorless cameras, slithered into speculative fiction, magic realism, roots revision, and social alienation (i.e. social media), delved into prophetic & apocalyptic poetry, indulged in auras, astrological phenomena—suns, moons & risings, flirted with AI—broke up—then refocused my flirting, dreamed of stunning cures & scientific breakthroughs, divined crystal vision(s)—and lingered too long with the questionable. Likewise, I danced in fever dreams (& elsewhere) and marveled in the moonlight. All the while (burning bright) 200 sextillion stars continue to indulge the 200 billion trillion questions swirling in my mind.
Never lose a holy curiosity.
—Albert Einstein
So, as the holidays sparkle and year’s end draws nigh, why not start micro with your query & seek goal? You don’t have to come up with all 200 sextillion questions before the New Year. You can begin with say just 6,000—the number of stars visible on a clear night. Then, as 2025 rolls out, you can exponentially up the ante. You never know what you might pose. What do you think?
Whatever your desires, may your holidays be consumed with curiosity & questions—iced with peace & joy!
Great idea! Hope you’re well Martha. It’s been a while. I’m grateful to receive your thoughtful blog & all for keeping curiosity’s flame lighted! Best of holiday wishes to you & your son. Maryrose
Martha, thank you for your shift in perspective, for jolting us to consider another galaxy. 6000 questions may be overwhelming all at once, I’m happy to reach for one to start.
Happy Holidays, Stephanie
Lovely words and thoughts . . . the certainty of uncertainty . . . slithered into . . . a zest for and consumed by . . . will want to read this again and probably again . . .
Why not soar beyond the highs and lows (so many these days) of earthly ambitions? May our pondering, dabbling and curiosity rouse our spirits and help us find our calm.
There is no end to questions, but what is the right answer? Is there a right answer? Isn’t the continuous questioning that keeps us going, moving forward, taking some answers along, leaving some behind, always asking because if I stop asking, my world stops.
Happy New Year – welcome to more questions!