SOLNOX NEWSLETTER #4
I skipped the summer solstice edition so this is a two-for-one!
Welcome back,
The summer solstice came and blew by me like the whirlwind summer that I didn’t expect to have, but that certainly had me. So I hope you can forgive me for not being the most consistent with this little newsletter, but thanks for sticking around, you might even get a double newsletter this fall.
If you’re new here… Hello! This is a my way of updating folks in my many worlds about my life, my musings, and most importantly somewhere to highlight hobby of collecting all the things into one place (jobs, playlists, quotes, podcasts, articles, and so much more). Be warned, I am long winded, but there are always fun pictures if you wanna skim through instead!
Below are some (hopefully) coherent reflections of a summer now over and some hopes for the season ahead... (Was not ready for fall but also can’t deny it's here now!) Hoping wherever this transitional season finds you, you also get some space for reflections and harvesting of what this moment holds for you.
“Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it. - Mary Oliver
TLDR (Too Long Didn’t Read, or a helpful summary of What’s Below!)
Summer Vibez + Fall Reflections
Doula days: diving into birth work!
Workin it out: AKA Doing the most
Fall Preview + Celebrations
Monthly Jamz + 4 The Culture
Jobs + Opportunities (Yobs +Opps)
Photo Dump :-)
Summer Vibez + Fall Reflections.
My first summer back in the desert brought extreme heat and also monsoons that I had forgotten, but loved the feeling of. Nothing like the smell of creosote fresh in the air post monsoon. I feel like the summer was a blur, partly because I over committed myself, and also underestimated the fog the heat usually leaves me in. Summer in the desert is like winter up north, you have to slow down to survive it.
Then all of the sudden, the season changed again. Transition moments are my favorite, maybe because it gives me a little more permission to be in process, that is to say to just be. Even if I’m grumpy about how cold it is all of the sudden, I am also reveling in the magnetic energy fall brings.
Also reflecting on how it’s been exactly a year that I’ve been back in the southwest, and I feel incredibly lucky to say it feels like a blessing every day to be here. I’ve felt so embraced in so called Albuquerque, and while in so many ways it still feels new and I’m still feeling my way into where my energy should be going, it also feels like I’ve been able to relax into parts of my being that were locked away, or hidden for some 7 odd years. I love the desert, and I love the feeling of my body filling with joy when I see a southwest sunset, or when I run into some friends unexpectedly, or when I smell green chile roasting up real good. I love the way the bosque turns yellow and the way the mountains can make you feel small and held all at the same time. It’s been a jam packed year of running away from and running right back into myself but I am thankful for all of it. I’m especially thankful for everyone whose made this past year here feel more grounding, more loving, more spacious.
& Sidebar, today is national coming out day! Assuming everyone knows I’m queer/bi/gay, but just wanted to also say that I am also non-binary, or what I like to call gender-free. What this means for me is that I don’t identify within the gender binary, and that I am mostly using they/them pronouns these days. So if you’re new to pronouns here’s a helpful guide.
(I wish I had more words for national coming out day, but if I am being honest I have way too many gender feels these days for anything coherent.)
“Perhaps there is a life here of not being afraid of your own heart beating” - Bernadette Mayer
Doula Days: Diving into birth work!
I am well on my way to being a certified full spectrum doula and birth worker. It’s been a little more than a month since the beautiful graduation ceremony the YVK Doula program held for us. And I’m still so full of awe, and also trying to integrate the lessons and reflections from our 6 months together. I think one of the biggest parts of what has made this year feel so magical, is being a part of such an incredible cohort. It’s a beautiful experience to be both pushed to grow, and also held so graciously at the same time. I also feel so lucky to have been able to come into this role at the same time when two new babies came into my family, thank goodness for baby cousins.
But being a doula is no joke, and also while it feels so deeply interconnected to how I want to show up in community, to how I want to show up for future generations, how I want to show up to social change work, I am still learning so much. I wholly underestimated the mental, spiritual, and energetic space it would take in my life to dive into this kind of care work. While I still have so many questions of what this will look like in my life in the long term, and I am thankful for some spaciousness to figure that out. Being in the birthing space is a sacred ceremony, and one of the most profound spiritual ways I have felt guided by.
If you want to celebrate and read more about our cohort of New Doula’s please do, and if you can, please consider financially supporting the amazing work being done at Tewa Women United!
“Care work is exhausting, necessary, life-changing, highly-skilled, emotional, sometimes a job, sometimes a calling, and filled with moments of mundane magnificence.” - radicalemprints
Workin’ it out: aka doing the most.
Here’s some quick + hopefully cute updates of other things I’ve been getting up to this summer! No I don’t update my website… that’s why I made this newsletter so you’re welcome, cause you're seeing it here first y’all. ;)
Abortion guide in NM is out! I made some graphics in it!
Scribin’ Education International World Women’s Conference!
This summer I scribed 15 sessions, and re-scribed all visuals into French + English translations. One of the biggest gig’s I’ve ever done! & So incredible to be a part of!
STOKE is a CO-OP! (We’ve got some upcoming offerings!)
I am an official cooperative owner as a member of the Stoke Collective!
& We have some upcoming fall offerings that I’m so excited about & of course I am happy to talk to anyone whose curious about long-term organizational support!
I was nominated and awarded a gift as a part of Kindle Project's SpiderWeave program! (Can I just say how incredible it is to be seen, and uplifted by women of color to continue doing creative work?)
SHOP TALK: Annual Art Sale! What do you want me to make?
Recently dipped my toe into Riso Printing!! So fun!! If you ever want to geek out about it, or if you want to try it for yourself lmk! But because I can only ever seem to get my shit together for a winter sale, I figure I’ll try out some riso prints this year (along with some other hand printed gift as well).
Let me know what you want!! Calendars? Cards? Prints? Stickers? Drop a comment or shoot me a message if you have any special requests!
Okay that’s all, onto the rest of the gatherings!
"Freedom is choosing your responsibility. It's not having no responsibilities; it's choosing the ones you want." - Toni Morrrison
Monthly Jams
~Monthly Playlists~
Bonus: Summer vibes
4 the Culture
Listenings & Readings that I share ~for the culture~
Podcasts:
How much water does your body really need? | Life Kit
Radical Grievance with Malkia Devich Cyril | Emergent Strategy Podcast (!!)
Love the Child: Care is the Throughline | How to Survive the End of the World
Black and Native Futures: Liberation + Sovereignty | All My Relations Podcast
Gay Pride and Prejudice Audio Series | A Gimlet Show
Hadestown (Original Broadway Recording) → If you get a chance to see the show, do it!!
~Videos/Shows:
Who was the world's first Author? - Soraya Field Fiorio
Reservation Dogs Newest Season (!!!) ← seriously go watch if you haven’t already
Kid Cudi’s Entergactic on Netflix (!!)
~Readings:
Kid Cudi’s Netflix Series ‘Entergalactic’ is the Black Rom-Com You’ve Been Waiting For
A New Chile: Read New Constitution (!!)
We need to talk about money — why it pays to be open about our budgets
‘We have a Vision’ Oakland Landback
Why Has the Left Deprioritized COVID?
Patagonia is Accelerating the End of Democracy
Dispatch from the Middle Rio Grande: The Day the River Went Dry
Yobs + Opps
Side note: I get way too excited looking at jobs, and I love when friends tell me they are looking for jobs because I’m always down to send cool jobs to cool people, so if you ever see a job you want me to share around pls send ‘em my way! (I was also inspired to do this in my newsletter from this newsletter. AND If you ever looking for SE jobs be sure to check out the NEC newsletter as well. Can you tell I love Newsletters?)
~Yobs:
Never Again Action | Director of Development (remote)
National Organization for Youth Safety | Youth Engagement Program Manager (remote)
Narrative Initiative | Network Program Manager – Action Lead (remote)
Youth Rise Texas | Associate Director of Policy | Co-Executive Director (Austin, TX)
Seeding Sovereignty | Operations + Development Director (remote/part-time)
Creative Justice | Executive Director
HEAL Food Alliance | Operations Administrator
Climate Justice Alliance | Multiple Positions (mostly remote)
Peoplism | Multiple Consulting Positions
Black Futures Lab | Multiple Positions (mostly remote)
Accelerate Change | Multiple Positions (all remote)
~Opps:
Arts Grants, Fellowships, and Residencies: The List
Abortion Companion Training (BIPOC + All Genders)
Thanks for making it to the end !