Kali Kambo

Last weekend I went to Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. I’ve been there several times in the summer and once in the winter. But never in March. Not much to see outside at this time of year, so here are photos from the conservatories.

I’ve been using Substack to send my monthly newsletter for the past 3 years. I wanted to change to a different platform, and I wanted to remove my posts from Substack.

I reviewed my past issues on Substack to see if there was any content I wanted to keep. I wasn’t interested in re-creating past newsletter issues, but if there was something worth keeping, I could turn it into a blog post.

But here’s the thing.

The way I build my newsletter issues aligns with POSSE. I post to my sites during the month, and then I select from there what goes into the newsletter. I do add some notes, but not info that’s worth keeping (like brief commentaries on movies or TV shows I watched).

Sometimes I include zine previews in my newsletter, but eventually that info makes its way to a blog post later.

There wasn’t anything I had to migrate out of my Substack posts, because the main newsletter content comes from my sites.

This is probably my best personal example (so far) of the benefits of POSSE. Leaving Substack wasn’t a lot of work because the content I wanted to keep was already on my sites, and not exclusively on Substack.

If you’re interested in signing up for my newsletter, you can subscribe on Mythical Type.

This has been a tough week, especially in the U.S., especially if you’re not a straight white male.

Here are some friendly reminders from me. It’s not much in the grand scheme of things, but I hope it helps.

You’re the only person who decides who you are.

No one gets to define your gender. The way you were raised doesn’t have to define your current beliefs. Your family and your friends don’t determine what kind of person you are. You decide who you are, and you can change whatever you want, whenever you want.

You are worthy exactly as you are.

Other people’s standards are other people’s standards. They don’t have to be a measure for you. Your value does not depend on how much you do (or don’t) work. It does not depend on how much you do (or don’t) rest. It does not depend on how, when, or if you meet stereotypical life milestones.

I support you.

Everyone deserves a life where they are happy, safe, loved, and cared for. I support freedom and equality for all people, regardless of race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, nationality, disability, or religious beliefs.

If it feels too big, make it small.

Life can get overwhelming in a lot of ways, for a lot of reasons. When you have a lot to deal with, try to find ways to break down what you have to do. Focus on one task. Ask for help with one thing. Plan for one day. Taking small steps is totally fine. You got this.

I saw lots of posts this week with recommendations to make something as a way to help with feelings of sadness, frustration, disappointment, anger…but I didn’t set aside time to make something until today.

I made a collage on an index card. I used outer-space related imagery that was already on my desk, because of a zine I’m slowly working on.

It’s a small collage and it didn’t take much time, but yeah, it helped.