I Can't Stay Silent

This has been a really hard week (month? year?), and I know that's a huge understatement for many. In general, my life is fine, and I have a future of opportunities to look forward to.

But my heart aches for the world right now and I've struggled with what to say. 

I never thought my company should be political, but I don't want my silence on the enormous issues of racial injustice to be seen as complicity. Black Lives Matter. I've grown up and prospered in a society based on white supremacy, and I do not want that system to continue. I will not stay silent about this, and neither should you.

I'm offering to have difficult talks with anyone who needs to ask a question, but is afraid to be seen as "wrong" online. I'm figuring it out too, and making mistakes along the way, but I'm committed to helping. Please contact me if you need help navigating this time as well, and we can have a chat, or we can learn something new together.

I don't feel like I'm a particularly skilled or inspiring person, but I have a big heart that wants very badly to lift people up. The best way I know how to do that is with my art, but I'm trying to do more.

I was going to share a big list of all the ways I'm helping right now, but this isn't about me. Instead, I'm going to share a few things I've found informative, and a few people to follow online if you want to broaden your horizons.

Books

• So You Want to Talk about Race by Ijeoma Oluo is a great place to start.
• The White Ally Tool Kit by Dr. David Campt is a fantastic resource if you'd like to be a better ally, but you're having trouble confronting people, calling them out, and having conversations. I'm still working through all this material, but Dr. Campt is an expert dialogue facilitator, and his workshop was extremely helpful to me. His website is chock full of educational resources too.
• I'm currently reading An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz. It's hard to hear all the trauma white people have inflicted on the native peoples, but it's extremely helpful to know where our country's ideas and beliefs come from.
• White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo is my next read.

Instagram

• #BlackBirdersWeek was great because I'm a fledgling birder myself, and I found a bunch of new accounts to follow.
• I think all my Portland friends know how amazing MoShow the Cat Rapper is, but if you aren't following him for your daily dose of cute, then now's the time to start: @iammoshow
• Sonalee is @thefatsextherapist and they have taught me so much about fatphobia and body positivity!
• @TylerThrasherArt is an incredible artist, scientist, plant dude (his succulent collection and Monstera propagation experiments are heaven), D&D nerd, and so much more. I first fell in love with his crystallized cicadas (I have a thing for bugs and weird art made from dead stuff), but there's just so much to love about his account.

There's so much great information being shared right now, so feel free to comment with anything you think would help me or others.