Padayon

Padayon – a Filipino word meaning to keep going, to move forward – is my reflection on hope as an act rather than a feeling. It draws from surviving Typhoon Haiyan, when floodwaters submerged our home, and from witnessing how people rebuild after devastation. It also reflects my experience of using creativity and artistic advocacy to help people find courage, voice and possibility. The piece responds to The Art of Hoping by asking what we choose to do when the future is uncertain. For me, hope is not waiting for things to improve. It is creating, caring, rebuilding and moving forward together.