B | The Art of Starting

Mediocre ideas backed by wealth, that keep our systems small & suffocating, crowd out those who could create something more supportive & harmonious for all. 


(cont.)

Aspiring changemakers may not know industry language, how to access suppliers or mentors, or have funds or community support to get an idea off the ground.

Mediocre ideas backed by wealth, that keep our systems small & suffocating, crowd out those who could create something...(continued)

I'm thinking about how many distinctive, inspiring, and systems-focused solutions are snuffed out before anyone can even begin to explore them, because corporate power or tech bros pay to steal and toss those solutions, or make it too difficult to even attempt to enter the market without wealth.

Okay, I thought that would be a 2-part thought, but my mind is still turning!:

Is it truly innovative to stifle communities, prevent individuals from being able to experiment and explore, and gatekeep opportunities for fresh systems and solutions by endlessly walling off and draining resources?

I think that having one's whole heart invested in ideas that solve long-standing, complex problems, coupled with the lived experience to know what would actually move the needle & create change, is far more integral to innovation than the same recycled ideas begetting wealth gaps & stifled progress.

If billionaires are integral to spurring on innovation in society, why do they all create the same shit (wealth hoarding, short-lived tech startups, housing shortages) while impeding novel solutions from the "little guys" that have less money, but more sincerity, foresight, and originality? (1/2)

Disabled people aren’t expendable.

Disability isn’t a moral failing. It’s not something we can “try harder” our way out of.

We don’t consent to being left by the wayside.

To being stripped of our healthcare and social supports. To being forced to “prove we matter”

Worth isn’t based on health.

Horrific.

👇🏻

Of course! 🥹

Thank you so much, Shaun; I can't tell you how much I appreciate that. I hope the same for you and yours; It is a disconcerting time. Hoping you are all doing well and staying healthy. 💛

Exactly. I'm gonna guess he continues to spout disinformation and platform people that cause harm.

Dude, same.

Love this so much 💛

I appreciate you, Shaun; Thank you for getting it and for always having such a kind, lovely heart! What a mess this whole situation is. Grateful to make connections with people like you who care. *Hug*

Desperately needed this today, thank you!

This government smells like cheap cologne wafting past you in a casino, cigarette breath, and sewer water emanating from the meeting halls where they carry out blackmail and backroom deals.

This gov't has the vibes of the parking lot at the worst dive bar you've ever been to at closing time, that huddle of bullies perpetually smirking in the halls of your high school, Nazi Germany, and a ragingly-full DMV at the same time.

I am imploring you to see this escalation of criminalization against personal protective equipment for the immense threat that it is, especially for mutual aid participants, especially for chronically ill & disabled folks (not mutually exclusive). How can you help? Normalize masks, wear respirators.

the thing that pisses me off the most is how few people will take this seriously— not even like, let alone retweet— because the rest of yall hate masks so much that you’ll close your eyes to the ways protecting oneself is being criminalized, to your own detriments of course #provemewrong

Sigh--They are really removing all of the tools we have. So disturbing. My stomach sank when I saw I could no longer order Lucira tests. It's really concerning that now they're limiting access to even these very insufficient forms of testing. I'm so worried about where things go from here!

Hi Lumia! Is it still possible to apply for financial assistance? I so appreciate all you do! :)

So disturbing. 😔

Here Are the Nearly 2,500 Medical Research Grants Canceled or Delayed by Trump (Gift Article) Some cuts have been starkly visible, but the country’s medical grant-making machinery has also radically transformed outside the public eye.

The Trump administration canceled NIH grants including funding at the only two federally funded Collaborative Research Centers for ME/CFS at Columbia University and Cornell University as well as Harvard. These grants were peer-reviewed approved.
Gift link: www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Artwork featuring stylised images of three rounded pink poppy blossoms on long green stems and poppy seedheads on stems, all on a yellow background

Colleen Parker, contemporary artist and illustrator #WomensArt

"...unsupported by evidence or lived experience" is so well-said. Exactly. Spoken by someone who has never been bedbound, housebound, or disabled, who can't empathize. So disheartening!

So let me get this straight, we finally get an American pope, and some of the America first crowd is mad because he cares about the poor and immigrants. Am i missing something here?

"The Apprentice" is trending on Prime Video after massive Amazon boycotts. Talk about sending a message that you really don't care about what impacts customers/the public. We stopped using Amazon recently & thought it would be really tricky--It's actually been incredibly rewarding. Highly recommend!

My thoughts exactly. Thank you.

So not only have they tossed out Nazi salutes like it's normal, propped up multiple rapists/sex offenders, cut ties with the WHO, and removed the Spanish versions of the White House website & Twitter, reproductiverights.gov is also down. Climate protections have been removed during the LA wildfires.

Of course! Thank YOU! 💛💗