#1- A brief introduction...
A bit of background leading to this publication that I am about to share with strangers across the world wide web.
Five days before the lockdown, my wife and I hosted the first art exhibition in a building we had recently bought to establish a multidisciplinary art space and framing studio in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Quite the opening…and the closing.
Later that year (2020), we became parents. And as most newbies experience, our lives got turned upside down. It has been a beautiful chaos where love (mostly), patience, and chocolate duct tape hold it all together. Practical questions popped up really quickly: how do we raise a child amid a global pandemic we know so little about? Who can help us care for the baby? Who is the baby going to play with? How do we manage our jobs and businesses in the midst of this uncertainty? How do we keep employees from quitting and/or attending to their own crises at home? These are a few of the questions and challenges we faced during this time.
Before becoming parents, we heard a rumor that goes something like this: when a couple has a child, they either disconnect from others or get socially detached by their single friends, those who are not yet parents, or the empty nesters that are kin on social events that are explicitly not for kids. Not sure where we stand, but the truth is that we became parents in the strangest of times. As the lockdown disrupted everything and everyone, in more ways than we care to admit, we were forced to rethink how to relate to one another and deal with the loneliness we suddenly experienced.
In many ways, this newsletter is born out of the need for connection, intimacy, and community. My wife is a nurturing partner, active listener, and business associate who I get to dream and work with every day. Nonetheless, other relationships are important to thriving and living well. We were not created and placed in this world to do life on our own, we need others to encourage and help us stay grounded socially and emotionally.
During these challenging times, I tried many things, yet three of them prevailed in keeping me sane and hopeful: reading, writing and eliminating. I read many books, articles, poetry, and biographies that served me well in keeping my faith and adjusting my mindset. While I’ve kept a daily writing practice since my early teens, I also began working on a book project that had put aside for far too long. Writing is my lifeline. The way I best understand myself and the world. Thirdly, I became an eliminator of whatever subtracts rather than adds value to my life. I zapped away anything that disrupted my peace or the peace of my family. I have a sign in my home studio that reads “PROTECT YOUR PEACE”. This helps me say no, ignore the noise, and discard trivial issues that will eventually generate unwanted stress.
Today is my birthday and I am grateful for what I have experienced, traveled, walked, learned, tasted, loved, and built so far. My biggest accomplishment was becoming a father two years ago. Thankfully, my wife and I are privileged with flexible schedules to care for our toddler and our second child that is coming later this month. I am beyond excited about our growing family. In the midst of this, Everyday Human is coming to you now because there is not the best time than today.
The publication will be varied and include a curated list of what to read, listen to, and watch along with data, facts, links, and prompts to get your mind and heart going. We will stay away from clickbait news and gravitate towards ideas that build people up. Art and poetry will always be present as a reminder to engage our senses, allow ourselves to feel both the highs and the lows, see and be seen, and invite our imagination to inform and form our minds and hearts. For more info on the project, visit the about section.
Expect Everyday Human every Monday at 11:00 AM AST. I want as many people as possible to sign up before the first issue drops on November 28st. Please subscribe and forward this to your friends so they can sign up.
If you've already subscribed, THANK YOU. It means the world to me.