Today, Beirut is again in our hearts and minds. Following the devastation of August 4, 2020, two years ago today, the city’s creative communities began cleaning up, knowing that, once again, the future begins with them. “It’s more than resilience. It’s an intense desire to never be defeated,” says Rania Abboud of PSLab. For many, the port blast could have spelled the end of the line. However, in Beirut one must never underestimate the resolve of its people and how, at times of crisis, support in many forms unites its citizens. Here are the stories of four of Beirut’s creative forces, Nada Debs, David/Nicolas, PSLab and Studio Safar, in conversation with @simonbalsom in the months following the blast, and the anger, sadness, camaraderie and bravery they each experienced in that time, wounds, mental and physical, that are still healing for many a year later. Read the story through the link in our bio. Photography by @myriamboulos