When I started my latest fibre art project, I called it “Alphabet of Trauma Care.” My intention is to create pieces of art that focus on good words, words that will help heal the turmoil and anxiety that our modern society is experiencing.
An increase in anxiety has been well documented and studied. For instance, the American Psychiatric Association’s annual mental health poll conducted in 2024 shows that 43% of adults say they feel more anxious than they did the previous year, up from 37% in 2023 and 32% in 2022. Adults are particularly anxious about current events (70%) — especially the economy (77%), the 2024 U.S. election (73%), and gun violence (69%)." It's not just the US that's experiencing this increase -- it is a world wide trend.
Scientific studies also underscore the importance of language in emotional health. In their neuroscience experiment, “Do Words Hurt?”, Maria Richter and collaborating scientists found that “Ultimately, negative words, whether spoken, heard, or thought, not only cause situational stress, but also contribute to long-term anxiety...” and another study showed that “...by exercising consistent positive thoughts and speech, we not only change our self-perception, but how we perceive the world around us. Ultimately, this grants us the ability to shape our reality and change the world for the better.” https://brm.institute/neuroscience-behind-words/
Science seems to confirm what spiritual teachers have been saying all along. Buddha said, “All that we are is the result of what we have thought. It is founded on our thoughts.” And the apostle Paul, in writing to early Christians, advised ”Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think on such things.” (Letter to the Philippians chapter 4:8)
I hope this doesn’t just sound like some woo-woo feel-good thinking; focusing on healing words is not a magic formula. Horrible things are happening in this world, and bushels full of kind words will not fix that. Healing words also need to lead to healing actions. But positive words can begin the change in our own emotional health, to give us courage to translate the words into deeds.
And so I got to work. So far, I’ve created “A is for Act”, “B is for Bloom,” “P is for Peace”
In my last blog I featured “C is for Connect.”
After creating that piece I thought I could move on to another word, but apparently not. I kept encountering C words that could have been my focus, and many of them began with the letters “con” or “com.”
So I dug a little deeper and found out that the prefixes con- and com- most commonly mean "together" or "with". ...and sometimes variations like co-, cor-, or col- are used to mean the same thing. Connect, Communicate, Collaborate, Companionship, Cooperate, Compassion: These are words that tell us, “You are not alone. Get together. Stand Together. Be strong together."
Thus, I created another piece, this one composed of C words that belong together, C words that CONNECT with each other.
Some of these C words are verbs, for instance Connect, Communicate, Collaborate, Cooperate. These are things we can do. Some of the C words describe healing characteristics – ways of being that lead to healing in yourself and others: compassion, and companionship, for instance. And I’ve included some words that don’t, at first glance, sound very healing, perhaps: Cry, Caution, Cocoon. But there are times when we need to cry, and psychologists tell us that tears actually are part of the healing, releasing harmful chemicals we’ve stored up in our bodies. Sometimes we need to cocoon, to take a rest from the fray.
And last, but definitely not least, some words are suggestions for you to act on. Yes, C is for Cookies. Cookie Monster had the right idea when he sang, “C is for Cookies, that’s good enough for me.” Chatting in Cafes and Coffee Shops with Companions on the journey will help us stay strong and connected. We are not alone.
PS: in my last blog, I invited you to share some good quotes about LOVE that I could inscribe on my blanket of Love. I got a few, and I’d love more. Here’s one that came across my FB feed the other day:
Those who choose,
even on a small scale,
to love in the midst of hatred and fear
are the people who offer
true hope to the world.
(Henri Nouwen).
