I don’t want this to seem flippant, or like a pep talk for those who are lost in the dark wood of their lives. (See our earlier post on the importance of acknowledgement.) Because “blooming” isn’t just a question of flipping a switch. But, through many of the interviews I’ve done, about people doing work I admire, work that has a beautiful ripple effect on the world around them, there has been a curious commonality – their work arose out of their effort to heal themselves and confront their own hurt. Their willingness to confront their own trauma became a gift to the world around them.