#uplifitng

“Alfred Date learned how to knit in 1932.

In 2015, at 109 he created tiny clothes for Phillip Island Penguins who needed woolen jumpers in the wake of the oil spill to help prevent penguins from swallowing the oil when they attempted to clean themselves.

Alfred ‘Alfie’ Date passed away in 2016 at 110 years old.”

Graffiti reads: ‘‘To sit with the Zionist enemy [anywhere] even at a television studio, is treason.’’

Graffiti reads: ‘‘One day you'll realize [O Homeland] that the revolutionary loved you more than those loudmouths.’’

Mohammed Abed, 2016 - Palestinian women pick wild mustard flowers.

A Palestinian couple celebrate after their wedding ceremony as part of a protest against Israel’s separation wall. Photographed by Muhammed Muheisen on July 14, 2006 at the village of Bil'in, near Ramallah, West Bank.

Muhammad Ali at A Pro Palestine Rally_1988.

Iconic mural on Labanon-occupied Palestine border depicts Palestinian man who put an end to an israeli sniper who'd been firing at Palestinians protesting on the 52nd anniversary of the settlers setting fire to Masjid Al-Aqsa. August 21, 2021. Designed by Mohammad Atiyyah, painted by Hasan Shahay and Hasan Fneish.

Children play on top of what seems to be the remains of an ambulance south of Gaza City. The photographer, Mahmoud Abu Hamda, captioned the photo ‘‘the glow of a person has always emanated from within.’’ posted on Jan 9, 2025.

Residents of North Gaza march back to their homes after a year and a half of war and after being forcibly displaced to the South. Abood Abusalama, Jan 27, 2025.

I feel like we all need this now.

@areyouokaypanda

In society as a whole, people who are artistic and creative tend to be not only undervalued but devalued, and it starts from an early age. During our childhood and formative years we are told to get our heads out of the clouds and to be more practical and to only focus on the logical side. We are indoctrinated to believe that only careers that focus on math and science is valuable to the world. We can be accused of being flighty or kooky when we showcase ourselves and our beautiful creations. We are told that our creativity holds little to no monetary value even though we are the ones who have the vision to create and design the things that people buy and covet. Not only does our work make people think but we also have the power to actually change how people think and view the world. We tap into the emotions that a lot of people are too afraid to face unless forced to, and we help them to understand and to come to terms with those feelings through our creative endeavors. We provide inspiration, innovation, therapy, and understanding. They need us just as much as we need them to survive. Always remember that we provide an essential service and never underestimate your worth and place in society. Because honestly, who wants to live in a world without the arts and creatives? A society without art and culture would lose it's heart.