November 11, 2023

I've recently started keeping an art journal. Now, I want to be entirely clear here — while I enjoy being creative, I'm not exceptionally good at art. But I have recently realized something that feels like a secret, but is actually just a truth that people ignore: You do not have to be good at something to do it! You do not even need to want to get better! (This is also aimed at the woman at my pool who keeps giving me unsolicited advice on how to swim faster. I'm not trying to go faster! I'm trying to move my body and let the chlorine wash away my thoughts!) You can just do something and enjoy the doing of it. We are so programmed to think we need to do things the "right" way or turn every creative whim into something perfect. If you can this weekend, do something you're bad at but still enjoy. Do it badly.* Create something completely unremarkable or even downright ugly. There! You did it. It doesn't matter that it sucks. You did it, and that's what matters.

*Exceptions include but are not limited to: powerlifting, aircraft maintenance, operating a forklift, cooking meat to a safe temperature, fastening a parachute and whatever mysterious things rock climbers do to not fall. Please do these things the right way.

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Our favorites this week

Get going with some of our most popular good news stories of the week

The power of giving
Today is Veteran's Day, so a huge hearty thank you to everyone who has served. So many veterans have incredible stories of overcoming hardship and finding supportive communities, and Susan Finnegan is no exception. Finnegan (center) began her military career with the US Marines, was a member of the legendary US Marine Drum and Bugle Corps and volunteered with the Marine-led organization Toys for Tots. After her time in the service, Finnegan found herself in a rough spot: she was between jobs, with two children and one on the way, and the holidays were coming up. After giving so much of her time to Toys for Tots, the organization was there to bring her family Christmas joy in return. "It was a big turning point in my life, to have that kind of support," she told CNN. Finnegan found herself on stable ground again and eventually nabbed a job at the Walt Disney Company. If you didn't know, Disney has its own history with Toys for Tots: Both Walt and Roy O. Disney were veterans, and in 1947, Walt Disney and his animators personally designed the original Toys for Tots train logo that is still used today. For Finnegan, it felt like a convergence of forces. She now not only volunteers with Toys for Tots in central Florida, she is also active in Disney SALUTE, a group for Disney cast members who have been in or are close to the military. The holidays are the biggest time of year for Toys for Tots and Finnegan will be there as toys are distributed to families in need. Watching the families' joy and relief and knowing intimately what that feels like is the most rewarding part for her. "When you give to children like this, you are giving memories," she says. "You're giving them a sense of normalcy. These are the moments you stand back and say, this is what it's all about."

Learn more about donating or getting involved here.

For the beauty of the Earth
The winners of this year's prestigious Earthshot Prize have been announced and each will get more than a million dollars to fund the future-changing work. Prince William and his Royal Foundation launched the ambitious 10-year initiative in 2020 with the goal of funding 50 solutions to some of the planet’s most urgent environmental problems by 2030. This year's winners are:

Protect and Restore Nature: Acción Andina, from Peru. The grassroots project is working in South America to protect native forest ecosystems across the Andes.
Clean Our Air: GRST, from Hong Kong. The start-up has developed a new process for making and recycling lithium-ion batteries, paving the way “to make the electric cars of the future even cleaner.”
Revive Our Oceans: WildAid Marine Program, a global organization with US-based headquarters. The non-profit combines “partnership building and knowledge sharing” to support the planet’s ocean conservation needs.
Build a Waste-Free World: S4S Technologies, from India. The agritech start-up uses its solar-powered dehydration equipment to cut food waste and help farmers process excess crops into products with a longer shelf life.
Fix Our Climate: Boomitra, a global organization with US-based headquarters. The company is “removing emissions and boosting farmer profits by incentivizing land restoration” through the creation of its soil carbon marketplace.

“I choose to believe that future generations will look back on this decade as the point at which we globally took collective action for our planet — the moment we refused to accept the voices of denial and defeatism, and instead became the architects of change towards a healthy and sustainable world,” Prince William said during the ceremony.

Read the whole story here.

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You gotta see this

The spine of a hedgehog, the snout of an anteater and the feet of a mole: It doesn't sound particularly cute, but Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna makes it work! The little mammal, named after British naturalist David Attenborough, hadn't been seen for 60 years and was thought to be lost to time before scientists recently caught it on camera shuffling through Indonesia’s Cyclops Mountains. “There was a great sense of euphoria, and also relief having spent so long in the field with no reward until the very final day,” said biologist James Kempton, who spotted the creature on an image from the very last memory card retrieved from more than 80 remote cameras. “I shouted out to my colleagues that were still remaining … and said ‘we found it, we found it’ — I ran in from my desk to the living room and hugged the guys.” Yes! That is amazing energy. Hugging and celebrating over seeing an obscure mammal? Humans are the best.

Read the whole story here.

Heroes among us

Congratulations to the Top 10 CNN Heroes of 2023! For the next few weeks, we'll be reconnecting with every Hero's story before the CNN Hero of the Year is named in December. This week, we're highlighting Stacey Buckner and Dr. Kwane Stewart.

Stacey Buckner devoted herself to helping veterans after a stroke changed her life. Through her program Off-Road Outreach, Buckner provides mobile showers, laundry services and meals to homeless veterans in Fayetteville, NC. She also connects them to veteran support services Read Stacey's story here.

Dr. Kwane Stewart provides judgment-free veterinary care for pets of people experiencing homelessness. His organization, Project Street Vet, also unites other animal care professionals to help even more people in the Southern California area. Read Kwane's story here.

Remember to vote for your favorite CNN Heroes here, and then share your vote on social media to encourage others to join in!

Hear, hear!

"The point is, art never stopped a war and never got anybody a job. That was never its function. Art cannot change events. But it can change people. It can affect people so that they are changed ... because people are changed by art – enriched, ennobled, encouraged – they then act in a way that may affect the course of events."

- Leonard Bernstein, iconic American composer and conductor, in the documentary film “Bernstein’s Wall."

Rec of the week

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Here are 14 personalized pet gifts to buy this holiday season

If you have an obsessive pet parent in your life (or you’re one yourself), you know a personalized pet gift will truly make their holiday season. Our editors shared 14 of our favorite personalized pet gifts to serve as inspiration.

Shameless animal video

There's always time for cute animal videos. That time is now.

Have you ever seen a kiwi run? No? Today's your lucky day.

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