Monday Monday is a reader supported newsletter that comes out every week for paid subscribers. Today’s installment is free for all subscribers. Enjoy. XO.
The other day I was voice noting with my friend who told me about a global strike for an immediate ceasefire happening this week. I immediately felt myself get hot in the face and embarrassed like, why didn’t I know about this? Why is my finger not on the pulse enough? In the past this could lead me to freeze up instead of just be humble and ask more questions. I asked for more information and spent some time thinking about how to participate.
I’ll start by saying how in awe I am of my friends who are putting in so much work to disrupt business as usual, hold vigils, make signs, march, and continue to voice and act upon their dedication to a Free Palestine. This big public work fuels my small private work and writing, folding it all together as a cultural worker, artist, and writer.
Being off social media I can really feel myself feeling a bit out to sea with knowledge and information sometimes. I enjoy getting my news and education from specific sources that I seek out, but I also find that moments like these creep in where I don’t feel as tuned in in a way I would like. More on this and my changing relationship to being off Instagram next week.
For now what I want to say is, every tiny thing we do comes together for the big thing. Eating at my local Palestinian restaurant this week, buying a book from the local bookstore on this history - The Hundred Years' War on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance, 1917-2017, checking in with friends who are putting themselves on the front lines of action. We all have a role and the older I get the less I judge mine against other people’s. The less I am on social media or comparing myself to other’s actions the more I can stand in my own role.
My new therapist said something to me the other day about how proud I must be of myself for being able to withstand having so many eyes on me. I never thought of that as a skill, to be perceived. To be so open to criticism, feedback, unsolicited advice, watchful evil eyes and god eyes and good eyes. I suppose it is a skill, one I regularly attune to and build so that this newsletter may be of service and that I may do my job. So that my own movement work may be folded into the writing, the sharing, the ancient format of the newsletter.
I head to Vermont to start grad school this week and am looking forward to participating in Mona Shiber and JuPong Lin’s Paper Peace Bird Projects. While the strike calls for a walk out of work or school, it felt correct to lend my newsletter to the movement today and to immerse myself in a school dedicated to weaving in social justice work with art practice.
Every day we can do the tiniest things, the most easeful gestures, staying curious and staying active. Not letting too much time pass creating distance between us and the work. I keep finding there is so much more to learn. Just because you may have made a statement once doesn’t mean you can’t keep digging in, privately or publicly.
I find that the more I say I don’t know the more dedicated I become to my artistic research and the kind of life I want to live. May we find ways this week to take the global call of collective undoing, find ways this week to seek truth and nuance and fascinating facts. Let it all move from your head into your heart and see if you can really feel into the grief.
The brambles of action are easy to get caught in. Caught up in wondering if we’re doing anything right, is anything enough? If I can’t do the biggest things is it worth it to do the smallest things?
It can feel backwards or almost strange to say that whether it is the grief of Gaza or the grief of my personal life - when I let it move all the way through me, usually into tears - I find freedom. And the only way to stay in the fight, to relieve my own suffering and be present to the world, is to let myself be in abundant freedom - a privilege that I can transmute into action when others cannot.
May you continue to be radicalized and curious
May you continue growing your capacity to be seen
May you prioritize your own freedom in an effort to usher in more liberation
This month in Monday Monday :
Season of perpetual hope - by Cody Cook-Parrott
I love to love
Not looking away - by Cody Cook-Parrott - Monday Monday
The discomfort of the in between
Friday Thread : Brag about yourself, podcasts, and documentaries
The life changing magic of giving up
Snow tires, no new crushes, and waiting for the sunrise
I love books on hiking and this post on THE VOID and being single is so so good. Highly recommend a subscribe :)
My favorite kombucha maker BOOCHY MAMA’S KOMBUCHA just launched a SUBSCRIPTION version where you can get it straight to your HOUSE. Boochy Buddies Kombucha Subscription! Also it is in a can which is my very favorite thing and I love getting it right to my freaking doorstep. The Fairytale flavor is my absolute favorite. Community supported kombucha babbyyyy
Ok a not to keep bragging about how cool my friends are but Stacy Jurich who owns it also runs advising for small businesses! So if you’re wanting to take a business in a similar direction I highly recommend booking a session with herOff the Grid Season THREE is back and is talking about MONEY
introduced me to Jean Genet this week and I loved this BBC documentary with him
Join me and for a (and other newsletters!) Meetup at the Leland Township Library on February 6 from 3-5pm
If you write a newsletter and want to hang out with other writers and talk shop and talk process and be in local community we’d love to see you!
I read most of The War of Art this week and woooooof my relationship to resistance is really on fire
Ok I finally smashed play on Boy Genius’ The Record and you’re right you’re right it’s realllllly good
I added my name to the Writers Against The War on Gaza letter in solidarity - check out their work, events, resources, and more
The complexity of survival: art, capitalism, and the exhausting quest for moral purity by was a hell of a read
From
⌇⋰ Website
⌇⋰ Email : info@marleegrace.space