A History of Kindness
By Kirstie McKinnon | Posted: Tuesday Sep 24, 2024
Encouragement butterflies and gratitude
Encouragement. Is it a need? Maybe. We are encouraged to do without it, make art anyway, keep showing up regardless. I agree with this, and I’m also aware that without encouragement I’m a wee bit lost.
A historical story
Back in 2022 three things happened to me:
Writer and editorial dynamo Michelle Elvy published something I’d written on Love in the Time of Covid (republished below).
Mountaineering writer Paul Hersey read the piece and immediately responded with: this is great, it could be a book, each chapter with a painting and a poem. His encouragement and idea stayed with me, eventually becoming: A History of Kindness on Substack.
Iona Winter gifted me a ticket to a historical writing event. I wasn’t interested in history. I was into getting-over-my-fear, and moving-on-from-the past. ‘I think you’ll enjoy it kare,’ she said. So I went. Profound, joyful shock ensued. Fictionalised history! Who knew?
Michelle Elvy, Paul Hersey and Iona Winter. Exceptional writers. Generous humans.
Continue reading: Encouragement - by Kirstie McKinnon - A History of Kindness (substack.com)