I have a confession to make. I’m wildly unhappy with the current ways we're trying to create change. A year ago, on November 8th, I was utterly devastated as the election results came in – and immediately felt that our current models of organizing weren’t good enough anymore. The election was proof. I thought, perhaps naively, that Trump winning the election would be a wake … [Read more...]
The fear of burning out (again)
When I started writing this article I wasn’t sure where it was going to lead. It has been minimally edited to more accurately reflect my train of thought. I consider myself somebody who cares. I work full-time as a climate activist and engage in a broad range of progressive causes ‘after hours’ attending rallies, protests, talking with friends and family, and working on … [Read more...]
Post-Trump: The 10 Best Articles On What To Do Next
Taking a moment to read and reflect in a time of information overload.
Trump was sworn in just over three weeks ago. It has felt like months. There has been a lot of terribleness, but also silver linings. One is the incredible show of resistance to Trump's agenda. It's bigger and more beautiful than I could have imagined. The other is the deluge of interesting articles and essays dissecting every aspect of the Trump administration, but also – … [Read more...]
What We Can Learn from Improv in the Time of Trump
We need to support each other, throw everything at the wall, and make hard commitments.
I’m terrible at improv, but I love one of the golden rules behind it. "Yes, and..." The idea that you don’t block what somebody else is saying, but instead accept it and move the story forward with your own contribution. We need to be a "yes, and..." movement right now. We need to be throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. We need to all be dreaming and … [Read more...]
(The Beginnings of a) Digital Campaigner Manifesto
How to not do useless and/or stupid things online
Last month, I completely disconnected from social media and spent every day talking with other similarly-disconnected digital campaigners and activists at Web of Change, an annual conference bringing together people working at the intersection of social change and technology. It was eye-opening. Because of the lack of reliable internet I was forced to get reflective and … [Read more...]