It's a hell of a time to be alive. Literally.

A giant chunk of this is the amount of cognitive dissonance being forced on us constantly. A dozen people who are against genocide could be sitting in a room, silently taking in news of Israel breaking the ceasefire or ongoing violence in Sudan, and then put their phones away to start marketing meeting without anyone ever mentioning it—or even knowing that anyone else in the room was thinking about the same things.

Cognitive dissonance is a giant a mental burden to carry. Acting in direct opposition to information we trust is a betrayal to our values and to ourselves. It tires us out, quickly leading to confusion and self-abandon.

This is something fascism does on purpose. It frightens and shocks us into compliance by isolating us from each other through cognitive dissonance, making normalizing feel like the only choice around us.

Here's where I want to hear from you: I want to make sure this isn't another space where you feel like the hurt and outraged parts of you don't get to be present. Because they are the needed community for my hurt and outraged parts, too.

Personally, I struggle with my email inbox something crazy. Sometimes I get an email from an arts org and I can't believe that their gala is happening in the same timeline as ICE raids and abductions 🤢—other times I see a life drawing class and am grateful for an invitation to practice my craft in relative calm so I can rest and refocus away from the dizzying mindfuck of constant news feeds.

With that in mind, I would be SO GRATEFUL if you take a moment to let me know how these newsletters are landing these days. You're not alone in feeling overwhelmed and heartbroken while still needing to work—and I want to make sure that message is coming through.

(Note: Your "creative work" may be a therapy practice or a small business. If you're here, I want to hear from you!)

For the record, your creative work is not a distraction: Often, the process of turning to the inner world of our work is a needed distance that lets us speak more powerfully to oppressive systems. We need quiet, committed times to think and create things that start imagining and building toward the better world we know is possible.

And it's our duty as artists and humans to also stay connected to the struggle for liberation. For ourselves as much as for each other.

Whether this space serves you better in the first goal or the second, that's the only question being asked here. All goals are worthy.

So take a moment and let me know what you think! If your thoughts aren't represented in the answers above, I encourage you to hit that reply button and let me know what's on your mind.

Love + solidarity,

Sam

​
​P.S. - If the throbbing brain-drain of cognitive dissonance has got you down, come to my upcoming workshop, Migraine Management Magic on Nov. 15th. Collective liberation requires self-care. Reclaim your cognitive energy here. 🧠💜 Each ticket supports my friend, Ehmoud, in Gaza and the Western Alaska Disaster Relief Fund for Indigenous communities impacted by the recent typhoon.

P.P.S. - Apropos of nothing, here's a guide on starting a rapid response network, a handy support for a proper SALUTE, this season's must-have accessory, and some ambient music you might play while accessing these grounding resources.