The Time Is Always Right*
I’ll be transparent: I’m just here to invite you to my Garden
(If you get my substack email, you’ll recognize this as my latest (and last?) newsletter from there.)
Speaking of living within my values, as I referenced in my last newsletter, the platform I’m using to reach out to you on is one I’d like to divest from. I’ll be moving my newsletter to Buttondown and I’ll be sending you an email to see if you’d like to join me there. If you’re a paying reader (bless you), I’ll make sure you continue uninterrupted through your year. You don’t need to do anything right now. I’ll let you know when the move is happening.
In my Garden we are Body Doubling for two hours twice a week to kick ass and get work done, and we’re Doodling (or generally being creative) for an hour twice a week because it’s so good for us! We’ve also got a book club (we just read The House in the Cerulean Sea) once a month. Most importantly we are building community with each other. You’re invited! I want to see your photo of the day and hear about your projects. I want to know your heart. <3 **
Ethical Living
I often wonder what it would be like to truly, fully, live in ways that align with my morals, values, and ethics. What would it take? I hate knowingly contributing to and supporting organizations headed by folks who are trying to exterminate me and my queer family or who represent misogyny, ethnic cleansing, racism, bigotry, or capitalism like it’s a religion.
I love the earth. I’m captivated by nature. I want it to be healthy. I want to be a part of the healthy ecosystem that is our world. I love people. I want to support systems that help people, that aren’t just out for profit, greed, and amassing power and wealth.
The problem is that it’s all one big spaghetti noodle pile now. We’ve bought in, over and over, in the last few decades and now we are deep and drowning in the dense sauce of connected apps and services. (I’m looking at you, Google.)
I feel overwhelmed when I think about all the ways I’d need to change to live as ethically as I’d like to. I want to move towards feeling more excited and like it’s possible.
Here is an incomplete list of things I want to change for myself:
Less or no more fast fashion: make my own clothes or buy ethically made and/or thrift
Reducing or using less plastic waste
Recycling products for other uses and buying second-hand
Buying foods only in recyclable containers
Stop using products with microplastics
Lowering my carbon footprint around travel
Spending more time in my local natural environment to remember that I’m a part of the earth
Only sourcing from safer, ethical, and minority owned or smaller businesses for consumer products
Removing Amazon purchases completely and boycotting other corporations who support my extinction
Eating less of or not eating animal products unless I raise them or they come from a farm I know
Eating locally produced foods
Reducing food waste
Volunteering for political campaigns in my local area
Creating friendships within my local communities
Create my living will and set up my death with a green cemetery.
Some of these things I can do now. Some of these things I don’t know how to do. Some of these things I can do during a time of more energy and health, but other times, I may need to rely on systems that are in place to conserve energy according to my ability.
Here’s that list again with the score I’m giving myself:
0 haven’t started working on this
1 researching how
2 taking steps
3 solid in some steps
4 solid in many steps
5 living ethically in this area
2/5 - Less or no more fast fashion: make my own clothes or buy ethically made and/or thrift
2/5 - Reducing or less plastic waste
3/5 - Recycling products for other uses and buying second-hand
0/5 - Buying foods only in recyclable containers
1/5 - Stop using products with microplastics
1/5 - Lowering my carbon footprint around travel
3/5 - Spending more time in my local natural environment to remember that I’m a part of the earth
2/5 - Only sourcing from safer, ethical, and minority owned or smaller businesses for consumer products
2/5 - Removing Amazon purchases completely and boycotting other corporations who support my extinction
1/5 - Eating less of or not eating animal products unless I raise them or they come from a farm I know
2/5 - Eating locally produced foods
3/5 - Reducing food waste
0/5 - Volunteering for political campaigns in my local area
2/5 - Creating friendships within my local communities
0/5 - Create my living will and set up my death with a green cemetery
What have I missed that you’d add? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.
*Title is a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “The time is always right to do what is right.”
**My mom asked me once decades ago why I always signed off with a sideways two-scoop ice cream cone. Still makes me laugh <3
This is the small print: I’m so happy you’re here and thanks for reading and sharing my work! If you pay money to read these words, I’m so thankful and I’d love to send you some doodle art or whatever it is I’m creating at the moment. Reply to this email and give me your address!
The best ways to spend time with me besides this newsletter is working with me as your mentor or joining me in Blooms in the Garden where I tend a community of beautiful people using creativity and community to stay healthy.