The Bridge #135
in which we ground ourselves in creative ritual, for the year ahead
Hello
& Welcome ! The Bridge is a newsletter connecting the professional and the personal creatively across cultures and a diversity of topics, until we are not only full of ideas but also ready to take action. Thanks for joining in the conversation.
Over the holidays, my partner and I re-watched a classic (from 20+ years ago) that we hold dear to our hearts, even if it’s maybe a bit kitsch. I’m talking about the film Love Actually which features Hugh Grant as a newly elected UK Prime Minister standing up to the US President and then later caught dancing alone through 10 Downing Street to The Pointer Sisters’ song “Jump (For My Love).” There’s a nice quote at the start of the film, which I’m going to include here because I believe it’s relevant for where we are today:
Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion’s starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don’t see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often, it’s not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it’s always there – fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge – they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I’ve got a sneaky feeling love, actually … is all around.
For me then, that’s where I’m going to choose to focus my attention this year — wherever there is love. I hope you’ll join me.
Something to Inspire
In a world where we have easy, endless access to information and entertainment, we need wisdom more than ever. While I too embrace moments of putting the mind and body to rest, the temptation to “veg out” in front of the TV has now grown to be for all of us a near-addiction in front of screens, tempted towards endless passivity.
To LIVE in alignment with instrinsic values, to experience meaningful connection to our wildly adventurous human agency (the possibilities to be and behave from an active stance, grounded in values) — we need collaboration. We need others around us who remind us of what’s wise. We need people to play with as we rediscover every moment how to navigate life creatively. We cannot reinvent power dynamics on our own. We need inspiration and support from other caring humans.
This is what I was reminded of, when visiting a current exhibition at Le Grand Palais in Paris. The friendship formed and fostered between Niki de Saint Phalle, Jean Tinguely, and Pontus Hulten led to a transformation in how modern art was perceived by the public (60 years ago) and helped extend the reach of these creative minds during their long careers. Playful Love was at the center of it all. You can see some of the exhibit here, if you choose.
Most nights during the holiday period, I embraced the need for sleep, as part of my healing and as a way to ensure presence during time with family and friends. One night, however, I chose to stay up late watching The French Dispatch a film story co-written by frequent collaborators Wes Anderson, Jason Schwartzman, Roman Coppola, and Hugo Guinness. The inventive ways they show unironic and semi-absurd appreciation for the written word are on colorful display. I felt inspired.
This year — rather than resolutions — I’ll take the tip from Suleika Jaouad and opt for gentler rituals for structuring my days and weeks and months to make 2026 a year dedicated to going more public with my creative zest. I’ll write a book, host impact investor gatherings, organize and participate in a Retreat for Rooted Parents, and continue Coaching and writing to you here via The Bridge.
What will you choose your 2026 to be about ?
Something to Consider
Heidi : Rescue of the Lynx (a multinational collaboration)
Spanish, German, and Belgian film studios worked together to create this animated movie, the most recent in a long string of stories created and inspired by what a Swiss author imagined 150 years ago: A young girl (Heidi) living high up in the Alps with her grandfather.
A couple of books, a series of films, a TV series or two, and then this animated movie about the young girl Heidi, this time rescuing a baby Lynx (caught in a trap), nursing it back to health, despite dangers taking it back to its momma, and then rescuing the whole family from a deranged entrepreneur gone poaching. The stories aimed at children and those who care about children always put emphasis on the Alps’ natural beauty and the benefits of protecting that beauty.
This film — which I saw in theatres with my youngest during the holidays — posed also a refreshing contrast between two wealthy people (within the historic setting of last century). On the one hand, there’s this entrepreneur so interested in winning money he’ll destroy nature, deceive citizens and endanger livelihoods; on the other hand, a wealthy father of a friend of Heidi’s who uses his wealth (and power that goes with it) to expose the fraud and repair the village. We can obsess about the money or use it show love…
Something to Listen to
Husband to Suleika Jaouad, Jon Batiste is a musical genius, beyond a shadow of a doubt, and his soul is deeply rooted in joy. The joy of generations past, the joy of discovering a new tune, the joy of living, the joy of loving. He’ll do what it takes to express that joy, even when it gets a little awkward.
I love this music video for the way it lets not only the music of bygone years come to life but the art and the people as well. Whatever their generation, let em dance! Let em love.
Don't need another million /
You got that goldmine /
I love the way you're livin' /
'Cause you so genuine /
You got that something special /
Didn't you know?
Something to Practice
In case you hadn’t the time to read Suleika Jaouad’s essay against resolutions, I’ll summarize: Rituals are gentler, more relational, more about showing up for the process, more about coming back to a structure, more about weaving ourselves to a larger fabric, keeping balance by staying in motion. If resolutions are about performative outcomes and semi-extreme tests of endurance, striving to be better, trying to become the hero… then rituals are about gently coming back to earth, again and again, feeling our feet on the soft dirt, remembering what we were made to do.
Is there a ritual you might try that could help you return to your truest self, again and again this year?
(Mine will be writing, a little every day, trusting myself to find readers.)
I just need you, you, you 🎶
JPC ❤️