Hello friends,

Whenever times feel overwhelming, and I’m not sure what to do about it, I return to the basics: prioritizing creativity, going for walks, and local mutual aid. Why? The world always needs more creativity, the healthier I am the better able I am to help, and mutual aid or community service offer tangible, immediate help.

The other thing I think about is the importance of building networks, which is a simple thing we all do, every day, whether we realize it or not. Some of us have stronger networks than others. Some have networks that are deeply rooted, and others have networks that are far reaching. Some of us even manage to weave together a combination of all of the above.

I wrote about networks for my Patreon followers recently. Here’s part of what I said:

“…in times when news is worse than unreliable, and an algorithm is trained to feed us what it thinks we want to see, we must still cultivate our networks, just like humans did decades or centuries ago.

Writing business coach Becca Syme has a useful phrase: “Question the premise.”

We can do this in all areas of our lives. What are we seeing or hearing a lot of? Why? What does it feel like we’re missing? Why?

Whom do we hone our thoughts with? Whom do we share hopes and fears with? What groups do we turn to when we need help or have resources to offer? Do we even know how to find either?

Building networks takes time, but mostly, it requires paying attention. Doing research. Showing up. Dropping by a seed swap or pop-up community free store. Joining a mutual aid group. Doing jail support or court escort. Picking up food for a house bound person or family. Talking to neighbors in your apartment building or on your block…”

You can read the rest of my thoughts on networks and community—which include a slice of pre-internet history—over on my Patreon. I made the brief essay public today: Networks Connect Us​

What sort of networks do you build?

Best wishes — Thorn