PATRONS!

I didn't sleep last night as the existentialism raised it's head and I questioned all the things. I haven't been writing. Not my books, not this newsletter. I took a little vacation for a few days and it gave me a bit of creative energy, but then I dumped it all on co-op work because there's a lot going on there.

I've been thinking about hiring someone to help me with the personal promotion stuff. Like prepping a month's worth of social media and letting me review and tinker. Or figuring out routines or processes that I can actually adhere to by either beating me with a bamboo switch or giving me a food pellet. Training me.

All good things must begin. I feel like catching something on fire. How have you been?

Maybe I'm peak

Epic poster about fair work

The co-op has been going absolutely nuts lately. We are doing loads of work with various charities, including Action West London. We're still doing massive work at Greenpeace – helping the Planet 4 team with their architectures of participation. We're advising government leaders through the Liminal project (sneak peak!). We are discussing how we cost projects (some good tips for freelancers here), making free email courses, facilitating conversations with folks like Digital Europe We're talking about branding, processes, strategy. Big stuff. If YOU have work for the co-op, especially for later in the year or next year, hit reply ;)

The Open Org community is also doing big stuff. I've been collaborating on a series about evolving communities. We've published the first two segments, How to scale an energetic community and How an open project's governance model evolves. We also have a new brand AND version one of a new book (The Open Organization Guide to Distributed Teamwork) we're writing was published this week.

Maybe I'm an ex-pat

Graphic from MDR

The EU launched "Reopen EU", an interactive map that details the various restrictions and expectations of all the European countries. The map has loads of info and is super helpful for ex-patriots watching the dumpster fire that is the USA and wondering if they'll ever see their US based people again.

I've said little about the eruption of racial tensions in the United States. I've gone to a few protests, and I took (another) anti-racism course. I'm reading, listening. I am not reacting because it is not a white person's job to react. We do not need to voice opinions about the monuments, we desperately need to understand the 400 rounds of Monopoly (please, spend the 6 minutes and listen). It's our job now to listen and then be actively anti-racist in our actions.

Finally, in this whole "State of the World" section here, I'm struggling with the Harper's letter thing but feel like I shouldn't say anything about that. I don't want to, you know, point out ambiguity and get "canceled" for it. Noam Chomsky signed that letter FFS. I wouldn't want to have an intellectual debate with Noam-fucking-Chomsky. I guess the question of did these people actually read what they were signing is valid? I'd love to say some stuff about both JK Rowling (currently being skewered for being transphobic) and Warren Ellis (currently being skewered for being creepy), but I'm not feeling much like nuanced conversations exist in the digital world. So I'll just STFU.

Maybe I need help?

Here's some Captain Obvious wellness advice and also mice on acid, in case you want some cognitive flexibility. Now watch Freddy Mercury laugh at Kayne West and feel better about the day.

You can always hit reply. It'd be nice if you did every once in awhile. Because sometimes I feel pretty alone out here.

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