More than a decade ago, acclaimed author and activist Alice Walker stood on stage at the Women of the World Festival 2013, offering words that continue to echo with deep relevance today: “You have to take time to heal yourself, to take care of yourself. To do those things that replenish you.”
Walker, best known for her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Color Purple, was speaking at London’s Southbank Centre, where she premiered the feature-length documentary “Alice Walker: Beauty in Truth,” directed by Pratibha Parmar.
The film chronicled her life, art, and activism, but it was Walker’s candid reflection on the cost of overextension that remains especially poignant in an age of burnout and digital fatigue.
“I used to laugh at myself because I would get so exhausted… I was in a car, but it felt like I was crawling up the hill to my house,” Walker admitted. “And this I don’t recommend.”
Now, as more people reevaluate the pace of their lives post-pandemic, her words offer a healing compass: learn to rest, not quit. Walker spoke of the wisdom that only years of experience can bring—understanding the importance of not giving from depletion, but from fullness.
“Then you’re able to give out of the fullness of yourself,” she said, “and not out of your poverty.”
Her message aligns with a growing movement prioritizing mental wellness, intentional rest, and holistic self-care—especially for women, creatives, and activists who often carry the weight of emotional labor.
In a world that constantly demands more, Walker’s gentle but firm call for restoration remains radical: honor yourself enough to pause.
And that, perhaps, is one of the most powerful forms of activism there is.
