How shelter-in-place inspired us to create

March 16, 2021 2 Comments

The Beekeeper of Aleppo, a painful and powerful story of survival, inspired this work, says Selma when we discuss her creativity during shelter-in-place.

She continues, I’ve been to Syria, Poland, Russia , all through the books I’ve read, many more than if I hadn’t been stuck at home. Olga—I can call her that now I’ve read her books—has made me want to visit Poland when the world opens up.

Bees on Flowers — The Beekeeper of Aleppo

Selma and I were asked this question by Imrana on Inspire FM Luton: ‘Miracle of Hope’ seems like a perfect during this pandemic – has lockdown had any particular impact on your work? And do you have any advice for people who have found it difficult to write during this time?”

To counter the trauma of COVID and the impact it has had on the millions worldwide, we have made an effort to appreciate being able to reflect and create. We realize that for many it is difficult to find the time or the space in your mind to do that. And that is how technology has been such a savior.

Reaching out to others

We have reached out to each other in a way we would not have imagined otherwise. We created this blog. Friends from our past, from decades past have joined us. Bushra’s piece reminded us of the tragedy of persecution and Mahwash took us to Diamond Moods.

I have entered libraries where I lived as a young woman and I’ve got to appreciate the women that keep me going today.

Creating in Confinement

In confinement, writers and poets have documented their deepest thoughts, sometimes called captivity narratives. Here are works written in confinement and we know you’ll have more to share

And lastly in a San Francisco Grotto Class, Pushing the Boundaries with Jenny Bitner, I wrote this poem:

Memory
Remembers itself
Each
Otherwise forgotten
time
forgoing 
its fate
to go forward
Oblivious to the future
it lives
Reliving the past
to return
to the moment
it began to be
Resurrected into the being 
Of when it began
as 
memory