Dei, it has been one full year.
Dei,
Today marks one full year of this weekly newsletter.
I am truly surprised it has come this far. What began as a 31-week experiment to cultivate a regular habit of sitting down write one tiny thing, grew into a habit and later embedded itself as part of my identity. I don’t always know how I am going to spend my Sundays, but I know that no matter what, regardless of where I am and how I am feeling, I would show up to this screen, to write.
Some weeks, I would approach this project with a build up of enthusiasm from Thursday. Some weeks, when my eyelids begin to flutter in a fight against sleep, I’d have to tell myself that it is just three columns I must fill, and the ritual completes itself. This similar energy has informed my approach towards other actions and adventures in my life, especially the ones I am anxious about. It is as simple as showing up. It is as complex as remaining consistent.
From Jan 31, 2021 to this very moment, I recognise both the microscopic and momentous evolution within my own thoughts, writing, and existential choices. It would be apt for me to declare that I have grown into a person who is very different from the one who began this newsletter a year ago. As much as I have gained, I have shed.
Through it all, I am completely grateful for your choice to give #DeisOfOurLives space in your inbox and weekly reading list. Thank you for continuously interacting with this tiny beast.
May your pillows be fluffy the way you need it to be,
Melizarani
On repeat this week
My first play ‘Kudumbam’ meets the stage and screen from 15 to 19 Feb, as part of this Theatreworks triple bill. I am excited to tell you more about it during the opening night and a special post-show talk session on 17 Feb. It brings me tremendous joy to know that this little Malaysian father-daughter tale is available to the whole world, on livestream. I hope you’ll get the chance to witness it.
Failing with abandon is a concept I learnt about this week and that has made me more consciously aware about the way I trip, slip and/or slide. It is not a new concept but it is one that has been very well articulated here. The idea is that if you find yourself tripping on a habit, missing a single day of workout or indulging in potato chips…you don’t have to eat the whole bag.
During a creative non-fiction writing workshop, I asked about how can a writer write about instances they do not have access to - a memory or an era before their existence. My instructor, the immensely knowledgable Tania De Rozario offered this article about using speculation as a strategy and it is fascinating.
My father said
“I know what I want, I don’t have to ask 10 people.”