Alive, literally and physically, sure. Which is pointless, without hope, without a goal, without the capacity to reach toward the beauty in the world.

[ No judgement, not on the seriousness front, at least, not from someone who spent most of last year trying to interpret hope, as a concept, on canvas. ]

Fear guides us towards self-preservation, but it only puts off the inevitable. We all die. We all know that we will die. To focus on running and hiding from pain, an unsustainable mission, is passive. It is avoiding, not doing. Hope is active. It is choosing to believe that you can change your circumstances for the better.