We were lucky to catch up with Alexej Savreux recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Alexej, thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.
We live in pretty cynical times. But holistically, we aren’t worse off at any other point or period in human history. History comes in waves. It would be a mischaracterization or misreading of history to view much of anything as a recent pivot. Newer manifestations of recurring or older phenomena might rear their head every so often, and so on. But I’m not discouraged, dispirited, or dismayed by much. If God exists, he can kill me but not break my spirit.
An individual’s worldview plays a role (relatively speaking) in their freedom or degrees of freedom. Further, one’s outlook or worldview is the last of human freedoms and cannot be taken from you unless your total being is taken from you first, and that’s important to remember. I think it’s also critical to remember that pessimism isn’t a philosophy and that gratitude for life and accepting the process and arrangement of life, taking the good with the bad, and the nature of how one (and collectively, all of us) adapt to the continuous demands, commands, and continuously evolving premise of life and the universe is really what matters most. But this truth (as with so much in human thought and life) is unique to each person, and I believe each person must make their respective peace with so much that isn’t up to them. And there is no defeat in that; I do not accept doom. But I also like to think I am self-aware enough to understand my insignificance and limitations in the broader context of the universe, history, and influence and affairs, so I don’t lose sleep over much. Now, circling back to the matter, whatever one chooses as their truth can make sense from various philosophical, religious, or social perspectives. But, for these quandaries in life, the answer, the purpose, and the reason is something that one has to discover for oneself, and it’s slightly different for all of us. One can seek out all the sages, academics, or poets they want, but their truth and peace are still their own and must come from within because we are all different but equally valid, cognizant, self-reflective, social, and emotional creatures.
I encourage self-analysis and growth. The actor and activist Michael J. Fox put it rather accurately and eloquently when he said, …with gratitude optimism is sustainable. Well, I’m grateful for the whole big, beautiful mess, and in the back of my mind is this like blaze of astonishment at the reality of my existence. And that’s a beautiful thing. It’s an awe-inspiring thing — the nature of reality and existence. I find it difficult not to be grateful, and as such, I find it equally difficult not to be just as optimistic.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I don’t want to dive too deeply into my personal life or my story. Those interested or know me decently enough can figure it out reasonably handily. I primarily focus on writing, criticism, political activism, policy, humor, and theory. In life, only a few things genuinely matter to me: creating and sharing ideas, helping those who need to be helped, and cultivating friendships and relationships; beyond that, almost nothing else matters to me. My writing is a highly idiosyncratic, often unnecessarily verbose mixture of modernism, postmodernism, surrealism, and Dadaism, refracted back to the reader through a brand of romanticism, likely a contemporary version of romanticism with a capital R. It’s also been called (at times) impregnably mental. While we’re on the topic, I am not complacent. Matters of philosophy and ideas are inextricably interrelated and intertwined with the collective destiny of all living creatures, so I take all of that into deliberation when I work on stuff. I’m all about having fun in the process. I come from New England, and if you’re sufficiently chill enough, it’s like if you’re not having fun, why do it? That’s my mantra. Specifically, I work in satire, poetry, journalism, art and social criticism, editing, cartoons, electronic art, humor, sound, linguistics, epistemology, recreational mathematics, and amateur chess.
I’m most excited about it because it’s my purpose, passion, and life’s work. What could be more important than that? It’s not just an occupation — it’s a sacramental vocation, and I’ve always viewed it that way. I just had a new book come out from Spartan Press, The Ballad of Lady Vigilance, in December of 2022, and likely have two more books, one another book of poetry and possibly (and hopefully) a collection of previously unpublished philosophical writings on a variety of topics coming out from an alternative journal and press and streaming site soon. Something’s always in the works. I want to emphasize humor, having fun, not taking life or oneself too seriously, and enjoying every sandwich (ala Sage Warren Zevon). Excuse me, I think I will grab a Snickers ice cream bar before I answer the next question! Gimme a sec!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Ummmm…..tenacity, adaptability, and humility. Adaptability is the hallmark of the human species. Some areas of knowledge that were most impactful on my journey were likely my fondness for humor, specifically Douglas Adams, Monty Python, Lenny Bruce, Seinfeld, Frasier, South Park, and Family Guy; it all sounds so silly! And it is! But that’s the point! Humor will see you through! I also read way more philosophy and Taoist and Hindu-Buddhist literature than almost anyone I knew growing up, and I smoked a ton of pot when I was super young. I think all of these things (combined) profoundly impacted my psychosocial, intellectual, and maturational development for sure!
My advice for the next generation is don’t let anyone or anything ever turn you against your beautiful Hearts. The world and life ain’t so shitty, and there’s a whole universe of good things waiting for you if you choose to pursue and embrace that goodness. Be kind, peaceful, and silly, and enjoy your time; after all, time is all you have!!
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Oh yeah, for sure. I always want to meet new people and work on new stuff with people. It could be almost anything. They can read my criticism and journalistic work in a fair number of periodicals and find my books all over the place, but if they want to get directly in touch, they can hit up my website and e-mail:
e-mail: [email protected]
Anyone in academia, media, or the arts, or public policy. Let me know what’s going on! I’m psyched and excited for the future!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.alexejsavreux.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/czechpoeta
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/alexejsavreux
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/ohiamalexej
- Other: Illogical Conceits Art Crit Journal alexej.substack.com
Image Credits
Alexej Savreux
