Love Letter to the Youth: Warrior Up With Art

 A Love Letter 💌to the Youth: Warrior Up With Art 🎨🎞️🎹🖌️📷

To my beautiful child, to all the young people navigating this uncertain world,

I want to start by saying I love you❤️. I love you so much that my heart aches for the struggles you’ve already faced and the challenges that lie ahead. I have lived through my share of hardships, but I also had the privilege of witnessing and experiencing moments of true beauty, freedom, and connection—things I fear you may never get the chance to know in the same way.

You have already endured so much. You grew up in the shadow of a pandemic that stole time, connection, and safety. You witnessed fear take over, watched people turn against one another, saw the rise of racism and division. You have known the comforts of technology, the convenience of Uber, Starbucks, and streaming entertainment, but you've also faced the crushing weight of sky-high rents, student debt, and jobs that barely cover the cost of living.

And now, as if that weren’t enough, the world trembles once again. Wars rage on, the climate collapses, and the future feels uncertain. I had hoped that by sharing my love for travel, by showing you the beauty of Mexico, by documenting our journey, I could open a door to understanding—that I could show you a world of kindness, of people who love deeply despite hardships. But the cruelty of the world has only grown louder.

So, my message to you is this: Warrior Up. But not with hate. Not with violence. Warrior Up with Art.🎨🎞️🎹🖌️📷🌍💌🔥✍️🤳

History has shown us that when people unite, when they sing, when they create, they are unstoppable. Look up the Singing Revolution—people who fought oppression with their voices. That is the kind of revolution we need. A revolution of art, of music, of truth.

But first, you must prepare. Clean yourself up if you need to. If you are lost in alcohol, in drugs, in despair, know that we need you awake. We need you strong. Learn how to survive. Know where to find water, how to build a fire, how to take care of one another. Not just for war, but for peace. For resilience.

The Indigenous Nations of this land have been warriors for generations, fighting for their survival, their culture, their truth. Take inspiration from them. Learn from them. Warrior Up like Thomas Builds-the-Fire in Smoke Signals—but do it with art, with stories, with courage.

I may not have much time left—maybe I’ll live to 108, maybe not. But I know that whatever happens, my greatest hope is that you, my child, and all the young people of this land, find a way to rise. Not just to fight back against the darkness, but to build something better in its place.

I love you. ❤️I believe in you. 🤗And I am with you, always.

— Tina Winterlik (Zipolita)