Why you must imagine the opposite
On the two things we will need in abundance this year
Hi folks,
Welcome to The Midnight.
It’s 2025 and I want to write you a different newsletter about music-making and creativity.
I want to write you a newsletter that pulls together thoughts on two things we will need in abundance this year: hopeful, audacious imagination and the ability to bring what we imagine into being.
This hasn’t (and shan’t) become a political and/or activism-focused publication, I’m simply cracking the purview open a bit and giving it room to breathe.
Here’s what to expect:
Dispatches on dreaming. From coaxing vision from behind clouds to tools for cultivating hope—each edition will contain writing about the luscious acts of imagination that make us feel most alive.
Dispatches on doing. A dream ain’t much on its own. It wants to be given material form. It is simply yearning for it. So, each edition of The Midnight will also contain writing on getting the fuck in action to make, and do, and gather with friends to be beautiful together.
Sometimes these dispatches will be connected, and other times self-contained. Sometimes brief snippets, and other times (more occasional times) essayistic. They will still be anchored in exploring music-making and the creative act.
Oh, and one more thing… The Midnight will hit your inboxes every other week. I want to offer more refined and considered view points, and this takes time. I believe less will be more in this particular instance.
So that’s it. That’s the main thrust. I will of course be tinkering with the format as I go, but I’m excited for this new direction and where it may take us.
LFG,
Lucy
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a. Dreaming
At the very least, we must imagine the opposite too.
This morning, among other things, I read this very bleak Vox article. It contained no ideas new to me, and I still felt nauseated by the time I had finished. The future described in this article is one I want no part of. Thinking about it almost shuts my brain down.
But practicing not shutting down in these moments feels especially vital right now. Asking ourselves to make space for not only the worst but also other, more hopeful futures in our imaginations seems necessary. Difficult but necessary.
A small way to practice this is to deliberately entertain optimistic possibilities when you find yourself dwelling heavily in the negative. To ask yourself:
What if the opposite of what I fear becomes true?
This is not about being naive or inhabiting denial. It is about balancing the deluge of devastating possibilities that arise in times of deep uncertainty with pockets of audacious hope.
b. Doing
Go to a local show with a friend.
Don’t think too hard about it. Pick a small-time art gallery opening, live music night, or book talk, and show up.
If you’re not sure how to find such things where you live, I recommend seeking out an independent book store or cafe in your area. They still often stock street press or have bulletin boards with flyers for local events.
One of my projects this year will be to disentangle my creative social life from platforms and anchor more of it instead in real spaces. This is your invitation to join me.
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