Beauty as Resistance: Finding Strength in Small Acts
The Weight of the World
The world feels heavy these days. The news cycles are relentless—wars, politics, AI, bad actors with too much power. Whether you lean blue or red, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. I found myself spiraling in that heaviness, and yet, when I asked what I could control, I found a surprisingly simple answer: I can create beauty.
The Stoic Connection
When I wrote my guided Stoic journal, one of the lessons that stayed with me was this: you can’t control the chaos of the world, but you can control your response to it. Marcus Aurelius wrote, “You have power over your mind—not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” For me, one of the ways I reclaim that strength is by making one thing beautiful every day.
My monstera leaves are now clean, shiny & happy.
Why Beauty Matters
This isn’t about perfection. Beauty doesn’t have to last forever. A flower arrangement wilts. Breakfast disappears. A drawing may get tucked in a drawer. But in creating beauty—however small—we are proving that kindness, love, and creativity still exist.
Dostoevsky once wrote, “Beauty will save the world.” The line comes from his novel The Idiot, where Prince Myshkin suggests that beauty—far beyond surface appearances—has the power to uplift humanity. Dostoevsky’s vision of beauty isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s about spiritual beauty, human kindness, compassion, and love. It’s the kind of beauty that heals, that brings hope, that connects people, and ultimately transforms society.
That resonates with me deeply. Because when I make something beautiful each day—a drawing with my son, a meal prepared with care, a thriving plant—I feel that healing power at work. It might not change the headlines, but it changes me. It changes how I show up for my son, my family, and my neighbors. And if beauty can ripple outward like that—from one person to another—maybe Dostoevsky was right after all.
Maybe that’s the secret: beauty doesn’t have to be grand to matter. It begins in the smallest places, in the everyday choices we make.
My overgrown succulents turned into a gift for new friends.
Everyday Acts of Beauty
Sometimes this looks like making a beautiful breakfast instead of rushing through something fast. Sometimes it’s wiping the dust off my Monstera leaves and watching them shine again. Sometimes it’s planting succulents in a fresh pot and sharing the extras with neighbors—an act that not only made my patio prettier but sparked new friendships.
And sometimes, it’s as simple as sitting down with my son, my dad, and my husband to follow a YouTube tutorial and draw a bird. Every bird turns out different. Every watermelon sketch has its own shape and character. And that, too, is part of the beauty: a celebration of diversity, of how we each see the world through our own lens.
An Invitation
What if you gave yourself permission to slow down and create one thing beautiful every day? It doesn’t have to be expensive. It might be propagating a plant, painting a wall, setting the table with care, or sketching alongside a child. These small, intentional acts can transform your home into a sanctuary and remind you of what truly matters.
Closing Reflection
We can’t solve all the world’s problems in a day. But we can choose where to place our attention. And sometimes, choosing beauty—however small—is enough to keep us anchored in love, hope, and humanity.
