Hey there! Some updates from the land of holyshititsonlynineteendaysuntilchristmas.

Since the election, I have been alternating between high gear and finding rest where I can to try and absorb all of the feelings. If you follow me on IG or FB, you may have seen my "one small act of resistance" posts, trying to offer folks ideas of things to do that might feel purposeful and helpful during this time. My amazing friend Emily Hine offered to compile the things into one place that we will continue to add to, so if you're interested, please check out this Google doc she created. She calls it Resources for Safety, Security, and Forward Momentum. If you have ideas of things to add, please let us know!

I also decided to offer a workshop for white women to help us ground and center ourselves and develop ways to resource ourselves for the fights ahead (yes, plural). The idea of this is that we, as white women, have a lot of privilege and purchasing power, but if we go into movement and organizing spaces without first calming our own nervous systems, we risk showing up like a bull in a china shop - using our rage to fuel us without being able to slow down and really pay attention to the folks who have been doing this work for decades before us. The first two workshops were really wonderful and I had folks ask me to add a couple more in January, so if you're interested, please sign up and/or share. The sign up link is here.

I have been struggling over the last year to create spaces where we can be together in really meaningful ways. My vision for how we move forward is not one of hierarchy, leaders who are bold and certain, but rather co-created. I want us to be able to come with all of the gifts and lived experiences we have into rooms where we listen more than we talk, where we feel into the solutions, try things, figure out what works and what doesn't, and adjust. So many folks are really really tired right now and the Easy Button would be to find a leader to follow, who will tell us what to do and how to do it, but those movements aren't sustainable, and movements that rely on one (or a few) charismatic folks who are in charge often devolve into spaces where we don't really listen to each other and prioritize learning. As my friend Garrett Bucks noted, the most impactful social movements in the history of this country have been built from communities who first came together to learn about each other and find ways to make people's lives materially better. It was only after they really built a foundation in that that they were able to begin making waves on a larger scale (think: Black Panthers, labor movements).

I am offering a new space where we can be together without planning anything - just really being together. Starting January 14th, I will show up on Zoom for an hour every Tuesday at 9:00am PST for whomever wants to come. I have writing prompts for DAYS if folks want to write. I'm happy to prompt a discussion and let folks who want to talk in to a special breakout room. If you want to come and do the dishes or your taxes or just *be* with other humans online in a space that is supportive and loving, pop in. The link is here​

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Finally, if you haven't checked out the podcast lately, and you're looking for some winter holiday reads (or gifts), last month I interviewed Aggeliki Pelekidis about her new novel, Unlucky Mel. It was such a fun read and you can purchase it here​

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Monday, the next podcast comes out and it's a conversation with Eleanor Vincent about her book, Disconnected: Portrait of a Neurodiverse Marriage and wow! Read more about it here​

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As always, please email me if you have questions, comments, ideas, or you just want to say hello. I am so grateful for folks who want to be in community and I hope however you celebrate the holidays, they're peaceful and you find some ease and laughter.