In fascination of bees
How the story of a beekeeper can shed light on creation, collaboration and craft
👋 Hello, dear creative. Happy new month to you all!
Nature has a creative rhythm we can learn from.
Today, I would like to celebrate bees. This weekend I stumbled upon this documentary series called ''The Professionals,'' which celebrates the craft of many artisans in Japan. I had seen some other episodes, but this specific topic and genesis were such a mindful reminder of a fascination for bees and the beekeeper.
We follow the journey and expertise of migratory beekeeper Fujii Takaharu, who is 79 years old. He has been travelling and caring for his bees as a family legacy. I was deeply touched by his story, his techniques, and the weight of the craft. Creativity sparks in every aspect of the process, from the bees and their evolution as a tribe (their unwavering dedication) to the deep care of a beekeeper. All of this is further enhanced by human solutions to better care for bees, especially in the face of external challenges. Within this hive, the worker bees work 24 hours a day and live for just 2 months. I did not know the lifespan of certain bees was so short. Furthermore, it is fascinating to see how they organize their rhythm according to the queen bees, awaiting their repeated awakening.
We can learn a lot from bees and treasure even more the fruit of their hard work.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Sending warm vibes 🍂
🐝 Bees have different lifespans and roles depending on their type within the hive • Worker Bees are the female bees that do most of the foraging and other tasks in the hive. They live for several weeks to a few months • Drone Bees are male bees, and they live for a few weeks • Queen Bees have a longer lifespan, ranging from several years to more than five years in some cases.
Do you know Bertrand Piccard, the founder of Solar Impulse?
I discovered his work and explorations years ago, and he has become a mentor from afar. He is just one of those brilliant minds whose material you have to dive into. Psychiatrist and explorer, he received the legacy and mindset of a pioneer. In his book, he highlights how pivotal that can be in educating the next generation, empowering them to seize the benefits of being a creative explorer. I attended one of his speeches at the BPI France, where he signaled once again the effects of climate change.
His book Changer d’altitude was my summer read, and as I dived into his thinking, he mentioned in the book an eye-opening analysis of bees and wasps following a daily observation. One that highlights a mentality of obstination vs. intelligent resilience. Indeed, he highlighted the capacity of wasps to let go and change altitude to survive. You will have to read the chapter to grasp that truth, which could save many years of knocking one’s head on the same spot for many of us, creatives and beyond.
🐎 Opportunity knocks
In every letter, I share opportunities I stumbled upon. There are so many cool grants, funding, competitions, and more to enter to experience progress. I hope the list of the week will be useful.
🇯🇵 Artist Summer Residency in Japan (The goal is to introduce visual artists worldwide to Japanese culture → notification 2024).
🎨 Arts Learning Grant (Funding up to $5,000 to support learning activities in any arts discipline → Deadline: November 19th).
🇪🇸 Win a trip to Spain Spain (My Little Paris and Kanako Kuno crafted such a playful & creative quiz).
🤩 Creative awe
🤹 Creative play and a llama spirit (I discovered this studio, and everything about it is so inviting! I hope to join one of their experiences in the future).
🕹 Self-taught VFX artist (Munaiba Mahmood shares her journey into landing her debut projects with brands such as Netflix, Disney and Marvel).
📹 A Japanese way of ‘‘finding purpose’’ (Proactive and mindful).
🌱 Building wealth God’s way (Magnify shares with us an inspiring conversation on legacy & faith by female entrepreneurs).
Creativity is in every little curious experimentation.
I hope you enjoyed the read of the week. If you enjoy this letter → 💖 put a heart on it and feel free to share it with peers, friends and family! It helps more people discover this space.
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Until next time, keep creating!
Keva.
I've thought about bees a lot over the last few years, especially their collective intelligence... the way the hive "knows" things the individual bees don't. I think we can still learn a lot about the way our bodies and minds operate by studying examples in nature, and bees are on my short list for this!
I didn't know this either, and I agree its very facinating: the worker bees work 24 hours a day and live for just 2 months. I did not know the lifespan of certain bees was so short.