Pride is the antidote to shame.

It’s a simple statement, but it holds the power to change how we show up in the world.

For too long, many of us have been taught—explicitly or subtly—that parts of who we are should be hidden, softened, or silenced. That we’re too much or not enough. That our stories are inconvenient. Our identities—whether shaped by culture, gender, sexuality, race, class, or creativity—don’t fit the mold.

There are three topics I’ve always enjoyed talking about: politics, the arts, and storytelling.

Nowadays, I find no pleasure in speaking about politics because it has become far too divisive.

So, I’ve been thinking: perhaps I should be speaking about how the arts and storytelling can help bridge the divide that politics has created.

I don’t know about you, but I yearn for a simpler time right now. A time that feels less broken. A time with more love, less vitriol. A time with more understanding, less conflict.