Artwork by Seb NIARK1 FERAUT. Hi Friends- I hope you are finding joy where you can this week. I am appreciating the little things: The first blue bird I have seen in my yard in six years; the view of the tall pines from my desk; this mug of hojicha tea, a gift from someone special. I am learning that part of the way that I deal with chaos is to try to come up with new metaphors to understand what I, and we, are experiencing. To use a linguistic frame to make something that feels difficult...
about 1 month agoΒ β’Β 5 min read
Artwork by Yaroslav Shkriblyak. Hi Friends- Iβm contemplating the idea of βpeace in actionβ today. For much of my past, I think the actions that I took were motivated by anxiety or fear or restlessness β a sense of not wanting to be here, of wanting to escape myself in some way. At the same time, my notions of peace were almost exclusively associated with the idea of calm and quiet and rest. Now Iβm considering what it would mean to take action with β and from β peace, rather than fear or...
about 2 months agoΒ β’Β 5 min read
Photograph by David Drbal. Hi Friends- Last week I turned 48. To celebrate, I hosted a potluck and an inordinate amount of my dearest friends showed up to support me, connect with each other, eat beautiful food, and dance. The next day, we woke up, grazed on delicious leftovers, and attended my upstate townβs small but absolutely radiant Pride Parade. The weekend felt like a dense, rich infusion of love and community. Immersed in what was unfolding, I took a break from the news for a few...
3 months agoΒ β’Β 8 min read
Artwork by Camilla Garofano. Hi Friends- How is your brain today? Mine has been a little on the fritz all week and not functioning like it βnormallyβ does for the better part of a year. Itβs been interesting to learn how to operate in a new way amidst this fog. So far I find that my executive functioning is less sharp, but my ability to do creative tasks is, in many ways, much freer. Iβve always thought high executive function was a double-edged sword: Yes, it can help you plan and execute...
3 months agoΒ β’Β 5 min read
Artwork by Yukai Du, for my new offering, KILN: Chrysalis Edition. Hi Friends- As you may have noticed, Iβve been on a deep journey of undoing these past many monthsβ preparing to step back into the world and to be in community with you, in new ways. In the process, I have spent a lot of time alone, and I have spent a lot of time searching for clarity about my next steps β or my next incarnation, if you will. And after all this time, and all this travel, and all this sitting in meditation,...
3 months agoΒ β’Β 6 min read
Hi Friends- After a long period of retreat and introspection, I am re-animating! Today, I was picturing myself as both the mad scientist hunched over their creation and the reconstituted body being awakened to new life. It me! π§ After spending an unholy amount of time hanging out with me, myself, and I... I am truly enlivened by the prospect of anchoring back into hosting gatherings, holding community, and coming back into my energy work practice. Over the next few newsletters, Iβll be...
4 months agoΒ β’Β 7 min read
Artwork by Jason Hateart. Hi Friends- I am currently: feeling immense gratitude for the bounty of blessings in my life β a home, a wonderful community, so much love, my dog guru Pablo, a warm hearth, running water, sunshine, and so much more... ramping up to share some new offerings with you and looking forward to diving back into my work after an extended period of deep undoing and integration reading a book that puts forth a clear-eyed (and fairly disturbing) vision of how climate change...
4 months agoΒ β’Β 7 min read
Artwork by Tom Leighton. Hi Friends- I hope you're continuing to surf the waves of change with as much grit and grace as you can manage β or just deciding to inflate your life preserver and take a break, as needed. This morning I decided to fully embrace uncertainty. Or let's be real β to try to fully embrace it. It's taken at least a year and change of resistance, but I am beginning to see that there is just no escaping this liminal state I'm in. (And, dare I say, that we're in? π) So I am...
5 months agoΒ β’Β 4 min read
Artwork by Rohan Dahotre Hi Friends- I hope you are staying sane amidst these chaotic winds of change. The pace of flux is making me realize just how much the ritual of writing grounds and anchors me. The energies of late have felt very βtwo steps forward, one step backβ to me. I make a plan, and then it dissolves in my hands. Are you feeling this, too? As Bayo Akomolafe says, βThese times are urgent, let us slow down.β I would prefer to have more clarity, more quickly β but circumstances...
6 months agoΒ β’Β 6 min read