Revival Reimagined: Culture, Literature, and the Self
Table of Contents
- The CreativeMornings Talk
- A Global Conversation: 249 Cities and One Theme
- Speaker Spotlight: Moath Bin Nujifan
- Culture & Revival: Why Context Changes Everything
- Revival in Literature & Philosophy
- From Maycomb to Riyadh: Reflecting on To Kill a Mockingbird
- Your Turn: Debate & Respond
1. The CreativeMornings Talk
Last week's event with CreativeMornings Riyadh was buzzing with life. The theme was Revival, presented by the ever-engaging Moath Bin Nujifan, who took us on a journey through science, relationships, and imagination.
As always, CreativeMornings proved to be more than a talk—it was a space where ideas come alive, where passionate speakers meet curious, open-hearted audiences. And this time, we gathered not just to listen, but to remember: revival isn’t always loud—it can be a quiet return to what truly matters.
2. A Global Conversation: 249 Cities and One Theme
CreativeMornings is now 249 chapters strong across more than 70 countries, and while we all gather under one shared theme each month, what that theme means shifts beautifully from city to city.
This May, the global CreativeMornings community spoke about Revival, and as creative partners of CM Riyadh, Al Jalees had the opportunity to experience how this global theme resonates locally.
In Seoul, Revival meant a creative reset, born from burnout and the quiet need to begin again.
In Toronto, it was about reclaiming cultural identity, reconnecting with roots that history tried to erase.
In Riyadh, Revival felt spiritual, communal, and value-driven with unique insights that we will elaborate on further below.
3. Speaker Spotlight: Moath Bin Nujifan
Moath Bin Nujifan is a Senior Project Officer at the Misk Foundation, where he leads initiatives aimed at empowering youth and fostering innovation. Beyond his role at Misk, Moath serves as a Diversity & Inclusion Consultant for the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM), reflecting his commitment to creating inclusive environments for young people globally.
In recognition of his impactful work, Moath was honored as a Messenger of Peace Hero by WOSM, highlighting his dedication to promoting peace and understanding through community engagement.
At the CreativeMornings Riyadh event on Revival, Moath captivated the audience by weaving together concepts from science, relationships, and pop culture. He delved into Chaos Theory and the Butterfly Effect, illustrating how minor actions can lead to significant outcomes. Drawing from Dr. John Gottman’s Love Lab, he emphasized the power of micro-interactions in shaping relationships. Moath also explored time travel narratives from shows like Rick and Morty and Back to the Future, underscoring the idea that our present actions hold the potential to reshape the future.
A particularly resonant concept he introduced was the Plateau of Latent Potential from Atomic Habits, reminding attendees that progress often occurs beneath the surface before manifesting visibly.
“We control nothing, but we influence everything.”
Moath Bin Nujifan
4. Culture & Revival: Why Context Changes Everything
Revival means different things depending on where you are. In many Western cities, it might be tied to productivity, career reinvention, or creative burnout. But here in Riyadh, it often touches something deeper like memory, faith, values, and self-restoration.
The Arabic word “انتعاش” carries with it a unique texture. It’s not just about starting over. It’s about feeling alive again with more clarity.
We may not know how every chapter interpreted Revival, but that’s the beauty of a global theme, it invites local meaning. Each city brings its own questions and its own context.
In Riyadh, Revival didn’t feel like a push toward more. It felt like a pull inward toward what anchors us: faith, family, purpose, and presence.
5. Revival in Literature & Philosophy
We’ve thoughtfully chosen a few literary works that speak powerfully to the theme of Revival. Each one offers a quote that captures its spirit.
In Literature:
The Secret Garden – healing through nature
“If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.” – Frances Hodgson Burnett
A Tale of Two Cities – resurrection through sacrifice
“I am the resurrection and the life… I see a beautiful city and a brilliant people rising from this abyss.” – Charles Dickens
Jane Eyre – independence as personal revival
“I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.” – Charlotte Brontë
To Kill a Mockingbird – justice, empathy, and moral courage against the odds
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” – Harper Lee
In Philosophy:
Nietzsche
“He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.”
Rumi
“Don’t grieve. Anything you lose comes round in another form.”
6. From Maycomb to Riyadh: A Call to Reflect
Our Book of the Month of June is To Kill a Mockingbird, which mirrors the spirit of revival.
The book starts with a reflection — a grown-up Scout looking back at the childhood events that shaped her sense of justice, empathy, and identity. Set in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the Great Depression, the story unfolds through her eyes as her father, Atticus Finch, defends a Black man wrongly accused of a crime.
What begins as a quiet coming-of-age story becomes a deep exploration of societal bias, moral courage, and the power of perspective.
In a town resistant to change, revival shows up not as transformation, but as a quiet return to conscience.
7. Your Turn: Debate & Respond
Let’s close with a question for our community
When we speak of revival, are we returning to something true we’ve forgotten — or confronting the uncomfortable truth that our values may need to change?
We invite you to comment and respond, or join the conversation at our next Al Jalees event on June 17th, 2025.
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