Image by Connie J. Sun
1. Connie to the Wonnie. Connie J. Sun, “NYC cartoonist who works in higher education and draws an illustrated status message a day. Single Girl, Asian Daughter. Cartoons daily, Mon-Fri.” I was trying to figure out what image to share with this post this morning, and I saw Connie’s for today on Facebook, and it’s so perfect, (the above image, just in case that’s not entirely clear). I shared a link to her work a few weeks ago on this list, but since then, I’ve been loving it so much that I felt like I needed to share again, as in “no really, this is so awesome, you should check her out.”
2. Your Time is Now from Karen Walrond on Chookooloonks. Amen!
I think now, more than ever, it’s important for all of us to use our creativity not just as a casual pastime, but as a more intentional form of true self-expression. Whatever your medium — an artist’s paint, a photographer’s camera and light, or even a scientist’s or mathematician’s formulas or equations — whatever your art, it’s becoming more important than ever to use it to express what you stand for. To create meaning. To use your art to shout your values, whatever they are, and decry injustice or discrimination, wherever you see it.
3. Write Good from Paul Jarvis. He makes some really good points about what’s really important when it comes to writing, like “You just write good, as often as possible, and share it. The more you share, the more likely you are to release something that leaves a mark.”
4. The Republic of the Body: May 2017, an offering from the brilliant Jena Schwartz. If I weren’t so stupid busy right now, I’d totally be there. “A brand new four-week writing group is for anyone who wants to discover or deepen their writing practice, with the use of prompts inspired by the teachings of B.K.S. Iyengar as well as other traditional sources. We will freewrite without stopping, three days/week for 10 minutes at a time. As with all of my groups: You do not have to be good (or have any actual yoga experience). You just have to be willing to take your seat and see what happens.”
5. The Universe in Verse, “is brought to you by Brain Pickings and Pioneer Works as a protest against the defunding of science and the arts. We are donating all ticketing proceeds to the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Academy of American Poets. The hosts and readers are all donating their time and talent, and this livestream is donated by Kickstarter Live.” In related news, an important distinction from Seth Godin, What does “science” mean?
6. I was the target of a neo-Nazi ‘troll storm.’
7. How to Tell a True Tale: Neil Gaiman on What Makes a Great Personal Story. “Honesty matters. Vulnerability matters. Being open about who you were at a moment in time when you were in a difficult or an impossible place matters more than anything.”
8. The Sanctity of Letting Things Percolate from Adreanna Limbach. I got this post in an email, and what was included there that isn’t in the blog post was this message, “It takes 14 months to birth a baby camel…16 months to birth a baby walrus…And nearly 2 years to birth a baby elephant. You’re doing great.”
9. 10+ Of The Happiest Animal Memes To Start The Week With A Smile.
10. In The 1920s, A Community Conspired To Kill Native Americans For Their Oil Money.
11. What I’ve Learned After 5 Years and 20 Books: 25 Lessons from Chuck Wendig.
12. The Alphabet of Right Now on A Design So Vast. What a great writing prompt.
13. Warm and Woodsy on SF Girl by Bay. I am swooning over this furniture.
14. Create What You Wish to See, more good stuff from Karen Waldrond on Chookooloonks. In related news, Ep. 8: The Highest of Thrives of the Hey, Sis! podcast, featuring…Karen Walrond.
15. 2017 Women of the World Poetry Slam – Ebony Stewart “Compassion Fatigue”.
Ebony Stewart is a touring performance artist and slam poet who has been active in the central Texas slam poetry scene and theater community for over a decade. Ebony Stewart was on the Austin Neo Soul Slam team in 2010 that finished fourth in the Nation. She coached the 2012 Austin Neo-Soul & 2015 Austin Poetry Slam teams, that finished first and fifth, respectively, at the National Poetry Slam as well and the 2015 They Speak Youth Slam that finished eighth in the world at the Brave New Voices competition. The only adult female three-time Slam Champion in Austin, Texas, voted Top Female Touring Poet. In 2015, she debuted her one-woman show, Hunger, for which she won Outstanding Lead Actress in a drama and received the David Mark Cohen New Play Award. Recently crowned, Co-Champion of the 2017 Women of the World Poetry Slam. Her work has been published in the Texas Observer, For Harriet, and Teen Vogue. Ebony Stewart aka The Gully Princess aka “She’ll eat your cupcake” – she, her, is the #storyoftheblackgirlwinning.
16. Stay-at-home mum’s self-portrait photo project.
18. The Stubborn Gladness of a New Dog on The Cognitive Canine. P.S. Send the new little guy some love if you’ve got it to give. He’s been in the hospital sick the past few days. Feel better, little dude!
19. The IHop Years, “1983-1990: Life at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the International House of Pancakes” from David Sedaris.
20. Why I’m Absolutely an Angry Black Woman by Dominique Matti.
21. My Religion Is Kindness, “the core of all spiritual and humanistic paths” from Tara Brach.
22. Wisdom from the Dalai Lama’s Nobel acceptance speech (1989),
I believe all suffering is caused by ignorance. People inflict pain on others in the selfish pursuit of their happiness or satisfaction. Yet true happiness comes from a sense of inner peace and contentment, which in turn must be achieved through the cultivation of altruism, of love and compassion and elimination of ignorance, selfishness and greed.
The problems we face today, violent conflicts, destruction of nature, poverty, hunger, and so on, are human-created problems which can be resolved through human effort, understanding and the development of a sense of brotherhood and sisterhood. We need to cultivate a universal responsibility for one another and the planet we share. Although I have found my own Buddhist religion helpful in generating love and compassion, even for those we consider our enemies, I am convinced that everyone can develop a good heart and a sense of universal responsibility with or without religion.
23. 5 Ways Not to Bite the Trump Hook from Susan Piver, in case you were needing the reminder. I know I sure am.
24. I’m a Tea Party conservative. Here’s how to win over Republicans on renewable energy. “This earth belongs to all of us.”
25. 70 years ago, six Philly women became the world’s first digital computer programmers. “Without any real training, they learned what it took to make ENIAC work – and made it a humming success. Their contributions were overlooked for decades.”
26. Why shopping should be a last resort. “Toronto illustrator Sarah Lazarovic’s Buyerarchy of Needs urges people to consider other options before hitting the mall.” A great set of graphics.
27. Letter: Living free from the pursuit of weight loss.
28. The Trouble with Tolerance by Omid Safi.
29. Glennon Doyle Melton’s Important Message for White Feminists. She’s not the first or only one to say this, but in case you didn’t or couldn’t hear it when someone else said it, let’s give this a try.
30. 8 Signs Your Yoga Practice Is Culturally Appropriated – And Why It Matters. I’ve read and shared this before, but it’s always worth revisiting.
31. Baby Winnie, the hippo. So cute!
32. Suck it Up: Some Advice to Straight White Men, From Straight White Men.
33. Clementine Ford: Committing sexual assault is never ‘out of character.’ “But rape isn’t something that otherwise good and decent people just stumble into. Someone who makes the choice to rape or sexually assault someone isn’t acting out of character – rather, they are expressing a central part of their character that all too many people seem willing to overlook in their desires to have these people continue to be ‘good’. The part of their character that believes they are entitled to use women’s bodies against their will, to dominate and hurt women for their own gratification.” Amen.
34. 16 Lies Fat People are Tired of Hearing. Word.
35. Criticism and Courage, a FREE online class with Susan Hyatt and Alexandra Franzen. “Can’t make it on May 11th? No problem. Go ahead and register anyway—and you’ll get a link to the recording after the live event concludes.”
36. Dear Sugar Radio. A great podcast, “radically empathic advice from Cheryl Strayed and Steve Almond.” In related news, Best of 2016: Most Listened-To Podcast Episodes of On Being.
37. American Poets, Refusing to Go Gentle, Rage Against the Right.
39. Help Save the Bees, a great list of tips.
40. When Was It Exactly That We Lost Our Humanity? from Renegade Mothering.
41. Fix Their Problems. “There is no creature in American politics more puzzled over by Democrats than the angry, forgotten Trump voter. How can we reach them? How should we speak to them? Here’s a wild idea: fix their problems.”
42. Women of color don’t owe you shit by Femme Feministe.
43. Burg’s Place. This is one of my favorite shelters, humans, dogs, an effort that lives at the very center of my heart.
44. 15 Indigenous Femenists To Know, Read, And Listen To. In related news, 21 Fierce Black Feminists To Follow On Instagram Right Now.
45. Can we talk about personal responsibility?
46. Erikan’s dream was to create a meeting place for young black people to meet, network and dream big.
48. Different Branches on the Same Tree from Jena Schwartz.
49. Hateful People Are Exhausting by John Pavlovitz.
Like the vast majority of this country, I want it to be the place where equality, diversity, and decency find sanctuary, and though I am fully committed to the aspiration, I am feeling the cumulative weariness sustained from a small but fierce portion of the population (including far too much of its leadership) whose narrative about the world depends upon acrimony for so much of it. I know that I’m not alone in this emotional depletion and physical fatigue.
But it will not consume me and it will not change my heart toward the world. It will not derail my path or alter my convictions.
I will be a person of love here or I will die trying.
50. There’s A Japanese Word For People Who Buy More Books Than They Can Actually Read. Guilty.
Open Space Practice, (AKA: A Thousand Shades of Gray) 