BGSD is back.
I have a version of that logo that blinks.
It's in my email sig file and it never fails to freak people out. I LOVE IT.
Anyway.
Hiiii.
Kelly Sue here. I think it's Tuesday? I'm genuinely not sure. No, it's Tuesday. (I checked my watch.) Happy Tuesday!
I'm a little bleary-eyed, but we're managing to keep spirits high over here. Helps that the sun is finally out in Portland, so I can open my office and listen to the birds. There should be an app that identifies bird calls. Like Shazam for nature. That would be cool.
Point being, we're stir-crazy, but we're not suffering. To our friends on the front lines? THANK YOU. Whether you're in a grocery store, a hospital, an elder care facility, wherever you are and whatever you're doing, thank you. We see you and appreciate you.
Folks NOT on the front lines -- you trying to teach school long distance? We see you. Trying to take class long distance? We see you. Trying to figure out how to keep your small business running? You are loved. Just trying to keep your chin off the floor and find a reason to put on pants every day? We love you too. And pants are overrated. We're all doing the best we can. Sometimes? No pants.
I just saw that a friend of mine in NYC had been ill. I didn't know until she'd recovered. I'm glad she's well, but I feel lost that she was scared and I didn't even know. It's hard to stay moored right now.
I have been enjoying watching folks like Sam Gehrke find their anchors working on personal projects. Sam's is a drive-by portrait set. You can check it out here: https://www.instagram.com/samgehrkephotography/. You don't have to come out of this with a new skill. I just want you to come out of this, so if your quarantine project is getting enough sleep, trying to figure out how to apply for unemployment or rewatching SCRUBS -- you rock that shit and I am proud of your accomplishment.
Because I'm lucky enough to have a job that's continuing in the quarantine and to have two school-age kids, I don't find myself with more time on my hands. Instead, I have less. I'm not alone in this either, I know. But I still want to do something... special? Maybe not something as big as what Sam's doing, but a manageable project to mark the time.
I am very bad at moderation (hi, junkie brain here!), so of course, one extra project has become SEVERAL extra projects. Clean every closet! Review every taeguek form! Write letters! Catch up on all my outstanding projects! Paint denim jackets! Make sourdough! Dutch babies for breakfast! Journal! Teach Tallulah Italian! etc etc
But one thing that's been on my list for a while is to restart the #bgsdlist.
"BGSD" stands for "Bitches Get Shit Done," though we are inclusive of non-bitches as well. BGSD started... gosh, four or five years ago, probably? (Has it been that long?) Chris Sebela crashed with us for a bit between apartments and when he got into his new place he lamented no longer having me walk by his desk and ask him what he was working on -- effectively nagging him. I told him I'd be happy to nag him any time, and I volunteered to text him on occasion. This exchange took place on Twitter. Someone else asked if I could nag them too... I thought it was too funny not to, so I looked into mass texting services and, like, a year later we had 4000+ subscribers who called me Mama Shark.
Nagging isn't funny for long, so the list eventually morphed into something else. A way to send myself little encouraging messages in the guise of of sending them into the ether. Folks cross-posted the messages to Tumblr and Twitter with hashtags #bgsd and #bgsdlist and found each other and sent each other encouraging messages too. It was lovely.
And then the platform I was using pulled the plug. Totally fair -- it was intended for teachers, and the size of the list just became unmanageable for them. I posted the news to Twitter and we all just got on with our lives. Every once in a while someone would ask me if I had any interest in finding a new platform. I did, but the the task just felt overwhelming.
Long story... pretty long already, huh? Sorry.
End of the story: we got a new platform. It's called COMMUNITY and it's pretty great. Starting tomorrow, I'm going to revive the #BGSDlist. If you want in, text BGSD to (503) 738-1029. It doesn't cost you anything (unless you get charged for receiving texts, but most of us are on unlimited programs so you should be fine--check with your carrier if you're not sure). I won't sell your info and you can unsub at any time. That's it.
If you sign up, I'll text you. Never more than once a day. Usually much less. And you can text me back.
Do you like podcasts? One of my favorites is OLOGIES with Alie Ward. If you listen til the end, Alie always offers a secret. I kind of love that, so here's mine: if you don't want to be on the #BGSDlist, you can still just text me at that number. You'll only get on the list if you send BGSDlist, but I'll get the message either way. (If you just want info related to Matt and my comics work, text MILKFED to (503) 738-1029. You can sign up for both, by texting both MILKFED and BGSD to 503-738-1029... you get it, don't you?
I've gone and made it complicated now, haven't it?
Sigh. Sorry. That is my way.
Oh, remember my asking about ADHD stuff in the last newsletter? I culled some of the responses I got for you. (Okay, I didn't. Turner did. Thank you, Turner.) Here:
ADHD Recommendations
Podcasts
Taking Control ADHD
ADHD ReWired
ADHD Essentials
Distraction with Dr. Ned Hallowell
https://brainwarriorswaypodcast.com—It's a podcast about all sorts of brain, emotional, and mental health issues, not specifically about ADD/ADHD, but if you go to the "Episodes" tab and search for "ADHD," you should see several relevant episodes.
Books
Faster Than Normal by Peter Shankman
Driven to Distraction by Ned Hallowell
Delivered from Distraction by Ned Hallowell
You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid, or Crazy? by Kate Kelly and Peggy Ramundo
Other Resources
Kaleidoscope Society—virtual community for young ladies with ADHD that will be starting a podcast soon
ImpactADHD- for parents of "complex kids" - no podcast but they have a blog.
How to ADHD—Youtube channel. (I LOVE this one -- and she has Bullet Journal episodes!!)
Speaking of things I love on YouTube -- have you seen Ben Dewey's DEW SOMETHING channel? Projects for you and your kiddos. Or just you. Or just your kiddos. I'm not gonna tell you how to live. I will tell you that if you haven't read Ben's TRAGEDY SERIES you are HUGELY missing out. Dude is brilliant. I'm not a LOL person, but he gets it out of me.
Has anybody checked out this DC Comics kids camp thing?
Y'all all know about Panel Syndicate, right? Pay-what-you-want digital comics. Friend of mine has something that looks really cool coming. Stay tuned.
___
Okay, back to work. Love you guys.
xo
Kelly Sue