March 2026

Did you know that wild red tulips are going extinct?

On the last weekend of March, I visited my home island, Poros, with my parents. It was not for the happiest of occasions, but we tried to take in as much of the island life as we possibly could. We took the car and drove over to my favourite beach, the one I spent most of my summers at as a kid. We drove down the cliff on a dirt road and parked among the wild flowers and olive trees.

I had missed the sound of the sea. There was something otherworldly about the place, abandoned as it was this time of year. No people yelling, kids screaming, no scorching sun over our heads. Just the serenity of the scenery and the sound of waves clashing onto shore. Even the spring breeze seemed a little gentler, as if it too wished to savour the moment.

On our way back, my mum popped the question. "Did you know that wild red tulips are going extinct?" (Now, if you ask the internet, you will find that tulips are not exactly going extinct but many varieties are endangered.)

I paused my music and waited for her to continue, quite curious at that point. Mum said this cliff and all the surrounding areas used to brim with tulips around this time of year, the whole island did. I do remember, in fact, seeing a plethora of tulips, not just in Poros, but on fields all around Attica during spring. And yet, I realised, I hadn't spotted a single one this year. Mum said she had read an article about it recently and now, seeing the bare cliffs, was reminded of it.

But what happened to the tulips? The soil changed, perhaps. The rain is different, and so is the sun. The breeze did not do its job, and the seeds didn't journey across the land. The birds were selfish and ate all the seeds, the squirrels too.

Red tulips are the symbol of spring, of love and passion, and they did not bloom this year.

There is a parallel here, one I wish I hadn't taken notice of, yet it has been so stubbornly persistent over the past couple of days. There is a garden only I can visit, where the cloud-heavy skies remain so throughout the year, and the breeze sings songs only I and the sea know. And in that garden, red tulips haven't bloomed in a while. Not because of selfish animals or altered soil, but because one of the key ingredients of their symbolism is missing.

Passion.

That ingredient used to be in abundance in the garden, so much so there was not enough time in a day to reap what it sowed.

And although I look back to those days fondly, I can't help but wonder when did the well of passion ran dry. I can't pinpoint it chronologically, can't correlate it to any specific event, and I don't think I'd even fully accepted the fact until I looked out the car windows and saw the bare cliffs. And now that I find myself brave enough to admit it, I have no idea how to fix it.

It explains why a lot of things in my life seem to be in stasis right now. Slow mornings and peaceful sunrises, with life drama so minimal I consider it non-existent. My time is spent mostly with myself and my creative projects, while outside discrepancies -whether they may be delightful ones, like meeting a friend, or rather unpleasant ones- are kept to a maximum of three per week. But there is uneasiness brewing in me, and words like 'future', 'aspiration' and 'dream' seem to trigger waves of anxiety that manifest in a physical form unexpectedly, like a beast that is ruthlessly clawing at the parts of my life that give me peace and quiet.

What does it mean for an artist to lose the very fuel of their art? What are the long-term effects of waking up every morning with no fire burning in your soul?

But most importantly, how do we reignite that flame?

I have no definite answer to these questions, and I doubt anyone ever will. There is an itch I need to scratch, one that has been a sign of an approaching storm since my teens. And usually, after scratching it, my soul somehow finds its way back to the garden with new seeds. Rarely, it comes back carrying a disease powerful enough to decimate even that endless expanse of green.

It's a gamble each time, and I can't decide how to play my hand.

(in which I share my writing progress)

I wrote a whopping 519 words on the Sirens project and another 539 for a Writer's Friday that is still in the works. I had to search my documents to find proof I even put a word down this month; so little did the work seem to me that I couldn't even remember it.

There is a sense of delay I am not fond of, a need for postponement I find no reason for. I am doing work, yet it is confined in the mind space, where ideas roam free and wild and uncoherent storylines piece themselves together half a scene at a time.

I suppose, given my stasis, it still counts as a form of work, one that will benefit me in the future, as the stream of words will flow easier onto the paper. A clear contradiction to what I believe I ought to be doing and what seems plausible in the moment.

I am giving myself grace; I have been since January. It's all part of the process, I keep saying, and I truly believe that. Writing is my safe space, my world between worlds. Reality is too framed as is, with deadlines, timetables and all kinds of restrictions it has built itself on and cannot do without.

But my space between worlds operates with no rules but my own. Time is a meaningless concept; what matters most is the ideas that are born and grow in it. imperfect ones that await to be refined, a process that works only with patience.

So, if you are an artist yourself, I will tell you this. The contradiction is inevitable, but not permanent. Be kind to yourself and your work. Never doubt its worth and believe in it the way the sun believes in the beauty of the moon.

We got this.

(in which I recap what I read, watched, witnessed this month)

And while my brain is stuck on 'no progress island', I entertain myself with movies and series, hoping to get some inspiration. This month, I chose mostly titles from 2024 and early 2025.

I watched Deadpool & Wolverine, Kraven the Hunter & Venom, the Last Dance, and I can very confidently say, you really, really don't have to. You are not missing out, I promise. 3/10, 4/10 & 4/10 respectively.

Fantastic 4: First Steps was a chill, entertaining watch, although I have yet to find the high-stakes, high-risk element that Marvel movies used to be famous for. The plot was okay, and I truly enjoyed the performances. 7/10

Sinners is a breath of fresh air in the current cacophony of repetitive narration, copy-paste storytelling and soulless acting. I am by no means a critic, yet in my humble opinion it was stunning. I absolutely loved how music played such a key role in the plot, how myths from different cultures and different decades were woven into it and how dedicated the actors were to their roles. The story was something different, combining the very real struggles of POC in the 1930's America with supernatural horror and the myth of the vampyr. The second half of the movie could be a little longer, have a little bit of a better pacing, but honestly, it didn't bother me one bit. 10/10

Joker: Folie a Deux was a scary movie. If you are going into it thinking it's an action-packed, super-villain rising type of movie, you will be disappointed. This movie, much like the first, serves better as sociopolitical criticism. As I mentioned, it is scary. Arthur is a person suffering from severe psychological issues and the film does a great job showcasing how, without the care that they need, people with such mental illnesses are villainised, used and abused by a society that doesn't understand them and an authority that views them as a threat to be removed. Many did not enjoy the musical part, but I think it's such a great way to show how Arthur's mind slips back to its safe place, whenever reality gets too much for him. I find the song/reality show part of it especially intriguing. Arthur was a man who wished to make people laugh, hence his jokes throughout both films, and his mind created spaces where he provided that for himself and others. I can honestly go on and on about the symbolism of the elements of this film, but you better give it a chance yourself! 9/10

I finally finished Peaky Blinders, just in time for the movie release. I cried in the opening scene, and whenever Polly was mentioned, her absence was truly felt throughout the season. Compared to the previous seasons, this time the plot seemed a little rushed, something to be wrapped up and done with, rather than expanded on and given the proper attention. The whole new son sub-plot I could have lived without. As a whole, this series is one of the best I've ever watched and has added itself to my comfort watch list. 10/10

One Piece season 2 was so fun! I adored Vivi, and Chopper (although his 'evolution' CGI is downright creepy and I want to request an immediate redesign). I am looking forward to season 3, coming sometime in 2027! 8/10

65 & Extraction 2 were both very typical, action-packed, survival movies I watched over lunch, with good acting and an okay plot. Nothing too fancy, but ideal for a quickk watch without emotional investment. 5/10 & 7/10 respectively.

Book-wise, I read a title from a Greek fantasy author, The Dark Heritage (roughly translated by me). It's my first epic fantasy in my native language, and it wasn't half bad. The narration style wasn't really for me, as I prefer character-driven stories, and this one narrated an entire planet's history. What I enjoyed most was the world building, with lush continents and many different factions and tribes. It gave me pointers for my own world and the things I need to work on to make it feel real and immersive. My brain worked so much while reading, and I am so thankful for this experience! 3.5/5

That's it for this month, thank you for reading this far! I hope February was a month of growth for you. Let's see what the next one brings!