Unfamiliar Not Unwelcome
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Unfamiliar Not Unwelcome
A lesson in receiving
Last month was a lesson in asking, receiving, and accepting. Accepting help, receiving praise, and asking for support. It’s unfamiliar for me, but not unwelcome.
I am just starting to take in the wonderful experience that was my first art show. I know there’s a lot to learn and eventually a lot more do to *inshallah*. But, I want to be as intentional with reflecting on this work as I was with putting it together. So I’m slowing down a bit this October and trying to give everything a little less time in exchange for giving myself a little more.
I appreciate all of you who showed up and supported me these past few weeks.
Happy spooky season 👻
Bianca
p.s. if you’re receiving this, its probably because you RSVP’d for my show - I hope you stick around! I share one newsletter a month 💌
Welcome to my fifth substack.
Here are some things that are helping me figure my shit out.
I’m reading about how calls for social workers instead of cops isn’t as abolitionist as it seems.
I’m learning about the importance of collapsing space-time.
I’m speaking at The Collective Power of Communicators: Communications Institute 2022 on 10/20.
What I’m listening to as I write this :
I saw that lots of you clicked through to learn more about my experience with psychedelic assisted therapy. If you’re QTBIPOC person in the LA area who is interested in trying it, let me know. I may or may not be organizing a way to make the experience a bit more physically and financially accessible to my community.
In 2020 my sibling and I set out to learn more about wine and how its made. Last weekend I was able to grab some Bitter Melon wine from The Filipino Farmers Cooperative (FFC), the only cooperative of traditional Filipino farmers in the U.S.
Disegno published a love letter I wrote that talks design solutionism, neoliberalism, Black Mirror, Baldwin, and a few things in between. It’s available in print and digital download - but you already know I made it available for you to read for free here.
If you missed In These Times you can look through the entire exhibition and watch the videos here. I’m welcoming opportunities to show these pieces, and future iterations of them, in more places. Let me know if you have a place for them.
This Month’s Resources
It’s technically mental illness awareness week (whatever that means..) So, I’m bringing back this Mental Wealth Glow Up guide I made a few years ago. It’s a deep dive into getting yourself a therapist, how to navigate insurance or sliding scale, and the thing most folks use it for - a LONG directory of different mental health care providers from an Abolitionist Centered provider database to free mental health services for sex workers.
Eight years ago today my mom suddenly and tragically became and ancestor. In her memory I’d love if you took the Get Naloxone Now 20 minute online training and learn how to administer naloxone, the life-saving antidote for opioid overdose. If you’re not ready for a full on training yet, take a moment to get familiar with the National Harm Reduction Coalition.