Dear readers,
I have written more than once that every
community depends on people whom we might call creators.
This group includes the vast number of
volunteers, philanthropists, and those for whom doing good has simply become a
way of life. These are people who do not wait to be asked, do not wonder what
is in it for them personally, and do not calculate how much time, effort, or
money they will have to spend. They simply see a problem—and begin to act.
They organize events, publish newspapers and
magazines, help those in need, create cultural projects, bring people together,
and preserve history, traditions, and memory. And, as a rule, they do it
entirely selflessly.
From the outside, it may seem as though
everything simply happens on its own. A beautiful concert, an interesting
conference, a festive evening, a charity event, a new issue of a magazine,
another annual competition... Yet behind every such event are dozens, and
sometimes hundreds, of hours of work that no one ever sees. Sleepless nights,
endless phone calls, negotiations, fundraising, organizational challenges,
resolving disagreements, and the constant responsibility for the final result.
A creator invests not only time and knowledge,
but also a part of their soul.
Then there are the consumers—those who gladly enjoy the fruits of other
people’s labor. They attend events, read publications, receive help, yet rarely
stop to think about what it took to make all of this possible. Moreover, they
are often the harshest critics. Something is always not quite right: the venue,
the host, the music, the article, the format...
Well, an outside perspective has a right to
exist, too.
What is much harder to understand is something
else: witnessing brand-new newspapers and magazines—created through tremendous
effort and intended for readers—sometimes being thrown away in entire bundles
without ever having had the chance to reach the hands of those who might have
found them interesting. There is no doubt that moments like these reveal a
great deal about a person’s inner world.
And yet most of these people have never
attempted to organize anything similar themselves. Not because they are afraid
of criticism, but because they understand very well just how difficult it is.
Creating is far harder than judging someone else’s work. Criticism requires
neither time nor responsibility. Creation requires both.
There is also a third category—the observers.
They do not interfere, but neither do they
help. They quietly pass by, assuming that community life somehow exists on its
own. Their position is neutral: if something is happening, fine; if nothing is
happening, that is fine too. They neither criticize nor support. They offer no
ideas and extend no helping hand.
Perhaps their indifference can sometimes feel
even more painful than open criticism.
But the history of every people teaches us one
thing: the future is built neither by consumers nor by observers. It is built
by those who are willing to take responsibility. By those who can bring people
together around good causes. By those who continue working even when, instead
of gratitude, they hear criticism or are met with indifference.
Fortunately, true creators are discouraged by
neither criticism nor indifference. They are motivated not by a desire for
praise, but by the wish to leave behind something good and meaningful. They
understand that every great undertaking begins with the initiative of one
person and the support of a few like-minded people.
This entire issue is dedicated to such
creators in our community, and it gives me great pleasure to write about
them—those who have left a remarkable legacy behind and those who continue,
tirelessly and selflessly, to do good.
Perhaps every one of us should ask ourselves a
simple question from time to time: Which
of these three groups do I belong to?
Do I create something myself, even in some
small way? Do I simply enjoy what others create—and do I know how to be
grateful for it? Or do I prefer to remain an observer on the sidelines?
The answer to that question helps determine
what our community will become tomorrow.
Because the future of a community is shaped
not by those who are the loudest in judging the work of others, but by those
who, despite everything, continue to
create.
Dr. Zoya Maksumova
Editor-in-Chief
(August 2026, "Ladies' World" #302)
