Living Through Grief, Finding Wonder, and Becoming Whole Again | Suleika Jaouad
Apr 17, 2025
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Suleika Jaouad, a New York Times bestselling memoirist and visionary creative, shares her powerful journey of overcoming recurring leukemia. She discusses 'creative alchemy,' transforming struggles into inspiring art, which is captured in her memoir and her new book of journaling prompts. The conversation explores emotional wellness, the significance of authentic connections, and the healing power of creativity during crises. Suleika emphasizes finding joy in everyday moments and the importance of community in the face of adversity.
Suleika Jaouad discusses how her battle with leukemia inspired her to use journaling as a therapeutic tool for self-discovery and resilience.
She highlights the importance of embracing multiple interests and passions rather than conforming to a singular career path from a young age.
Jaouad emphasizes the significance of celebrating life's joys amidst hardships, illustrating this balance through her spontaneous wedding during a hospital stay.
Deep dives
Transforming Struggle into Art
Shalika Jawad shares her journey of coping with repeated leukemia diagnoses by turning her struggles into a process of self-discovery and creativity. Through her personal experiences, she emphasizes the significant role of journaling as a private and therapeutic outlet that allows individuals to navigate their emotions and redefine how they approach life challenges. Journaling serves not only as a means of personal expression but also as a method to cultivate resilience during difficult times, enabling her to process her feelings and maintain a sense of agency. This transformative storytelling highlights the alchemical process of converting life's interruptions into sources of inspiration.
Embracing the Misfit Within
Jawad recounts her formative years at Skidmore College, a space where she navigated a sense of isolation as an immigrant and ultimately embraced her identity as a creative. Her experiences on campus facilitated her self-acceptance despite feelings of being a misfit, utilizing the academic resources available to explore various passions, including music and dance. This journey of self-discovery shaped her perception of education as a pathway to exploration rather than a rigid career path. The freedom she found in those formative years encouraged her to embrace her diverse interests, reinforcing the idea that embracing one’s multifaceted nature is integral to personal growth.
The Value of Curiosity Over Pressure
In her reflection on passion and purpose, Jawad challenges the conventional wisdom that emphasizes finding a singular career path. She advocates for nurturing multiple interests and passions and encourages individuals to avoid the pressure of pinpointing a specific identity at a young age. By revisiting her own journaling from childhood, she identifies a sense of playfulness and curiosity that can often be lost in the pursuit of achievement. This counter-narrative underscores the importance of allowing oneself to explore diverse avenues of interest without the burden of external expectations.
Navigating Dual Realities
Jawad illustrates the complexities of managing her health issues while witnessing her husband’s burgeoning career during a challenging time, highlighting life’s dualities. As she faced her own health struggles, Jawad expressed the significance of finding ways to celebrate life despite hardship, illustrating the balance between personal challenges and external joy. Her spontaneous wedding amid a hospital stay exemplifies her determination to embrace love and connection even in difficult circumstances. This experience serves as a reminder that acknowledging life’s simultaneous joys and sorrows can help cultivate a deeper appreciation for the present.
Cultivating Creative Community
Jawad's new book, 'The Book of Alchemy,' encapsulates her philosophy of journaling as a communal and transformative practice during isolation, particularly during the pandemic. By inviting a diverse range of contributors to share prompts and reflections, she aims to foster a sense of connection and collective creativity. The rise of the Isolation Journals demonstrates how shared experiences can cultivate community and support, offering individuals the tools to explore their emotions through writing. This initiative emphasizes the therapeutic power of creative expression and collective reflection in navigating uncertain times.
How would you transform life's greatest challenges into inspiring works of art? Suleika Jaouad shares her journey of "creative alchemy," turning her battles with leukemia into the acclaimed memoir Between Two Kingdoms and her new book The Book of Alchemy - a collection of 100 imaginative journaling prompts to spark self-discovery.
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