A while back I came across AJ Hawkins on TikTok. I really enjoyed how she talked about accessibility and community care in the context of the Kalma shop they opened in Port Townsend, WA. The staff wears masks, they purify the air, they invite/encourage guests to mask, and they provide free masks at the entrance. They were also intentionally making it a third space with community gatherings.

I really like their Values page and recommend reading it in full. A good summary, in part:

“WE ARE BUILDING A MORE CARING WORLD. We pursue equality by pursuing equal access to joy. Equal access to joy requires equal access to safety, community, opportunity, play, creativity, expression, self-determination, and the natural world.”

I was reminded of this today when another of her videos came across my feed. She talked about using affirmative language for our values since it communicates better who we are and can provide a roadmap for what living out those values looks like. A quote from it that is an evergreen reminder for me:

“My husband recently reminded me of the quote, ‘Hating my neighbor's oppressor is not the same thing as loving my neighbor.’ I wonder what our protest looks like when it’s no longer rooted in a hatred for the way that things are, but in a love for the way that things could be.”

I’ve been enjoying @doodlesbycharlie_ drawings on Instagram for a while, described as “turning disabled grief into comics.” Such cute drawings and a lot of relatable feelings portrayed in them.

I loved that they created a set of prompts for a creative challenge this month, #MaskUpTober:

Turn your pandemic feelings into art! Any format is welcome. Use #MaskUpTober hashtag & tag @doodlesbycharlie_

Week 1: Oct 4–10: Zoinks! vampire, scare, nightmare, trick

Week 2: Oct 11–17: In the Woods. fog, wander, moon, tree, lost

Week 3: Oct 18–24: Mystery World. illusion, hidden, portal, dreams

Week 4: Oct 25–31: Casting Spells. magic, wish, glow, mirror, float

— original Instagram post

Also from the caption: “...this is low pressure. any medium is welcome. doodles, song, voice, poetry, writing, makeup, memes, photos, collage, scribbles on a napkin! only rule is to not use AI.”

I didn’t think I would participate myself, but the mood just struck me. The first prompt reminded me of Scooby Doo and the modified phrase popped to mind “...and I would have got away with it if it wasn’t for you pesky maskers” and the idea came together.

I pulled up an image of the scene, did a little sketching, and voila:

(yeah, I know, it’s not the scene that goes with the quote. ✨c r e a t i v i t y✨)

Hi, recovering perfectionist here and I often feel self-conscious about drawing, but I pressed that down and made a mark, as Joe would say.

I was pleasantly surprised when The Echoing Green announced a listening party for a new single. They’re one of my all-time favorites. They’re independent these days and it is a side gig, so new tracks are less frequent and always a treat.

“I Know Right” is some really catchy synthpop and you can listen above or at the Bandcamp link. It has some of the vibe from The Winter of Our Discontent, which I love. That lyric is still in my email signature:

“our hearts are burning bright, as we’re lifted out of nowhere. our songs all stay behind to sing the story of our lives”

I joined the listening party tonight expecting it to just be a livestream of the song, but Bandcamp also has a chat feature, so it was fun to chat with others. I saw some names I recognized and also unlocked a memory of the echocentral forum (archived) we used to have discussions on in the good ole phpBB forum days.

Chrissy joined and said they were starting up a YouTube livestream, so we hopped over there and had a fun hangout for the next hour talking about other songs they’re working on (it sounds like they have a lot!) and talked about what songs they should try to cover. I immediately said “Pink Pony Club” half as a joke, but I do think it could work. We’ve seen metal covers, why not a synthpop cover?

They don’t really tour much, but there was talk about maybe doing a livestream concert and they definitely want to do more hangout livestreams like tonight’s, so I’m looking forward to that.

The title of this post is the second half of the lyric I used for the last post about the band: “Hope still has a name and it sets us on fire.”

A short story

You feel the air on your face as you’re rushing to work. It’s your first day and of course you’re running late.

You land at the entrance of the large, nondescript building. It does not have many windows. That might be unsettling for some, but you find it kind of a relief. Still, you hope you don’t get stuck in there for long hours every day. You shiver as you remember your previous job.

As you approach the door, the RFID scanner beeps. A green light turns on and the door automatically slides open for you. “Whoa, fancy.”

The ceilings inside are so high. The lighting is better than you expected — at least they’re not using those obnoxious fluorescent lights. You line up behind a few other tall employees at the metal detector, but a moment later you’re ushered around it by one of the agents. “Robin? You don’t need to go through the metal detector. You’re late, by the way. Not a great look on the first day.”

You’re led down the hallway until you finally see a door more your size. You slip in quietly and settle in as the presenter continues, “…your spy work will be keeping the country safe. Welcome to the National Security Agency, Avian Division.”

This is my entry for the September IndieWeb blog carnival, Second Person Birds.