* Letter No.11 * November 2018 *
freedom, meaning, & makin' stuff
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"The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion."
— Albert Camus
Hey ya'll. I hope this November newsletter finds you well nourished, with joy in your heart. After moving through a lot of heaviness in the last month(s) I am feeling lighter and have spent the last few weeks in a rush of creative energy. I've been making A LOT of stuff and am loving it. I've also been thinking a lot about freedom, and what it means within this capitalist, high-productivity, fast-paced demanding model of society. How to be free and healthy and self-sustaining within that, and if it's possible. How much of this model of society is worthy of us holding on to, when (it seems to me) it causes so much damage to the ecosystems of this planet, and to our own bodies and souls (at least to mine)? I often struggle because my artist heart and my human body want and need different things than what I feel is demanded of me by society. And then I feel guilty because I know my life is incredibly privileged and therefore I shouldn't complain. While also knowing that my guilt serves no one, and there is truth to feeling like this system isn't working, when so many things in our society are clearly wildly out of balance. And so I've been contemplating how to live and work in a meaningful way; a way that causes the least amount of harm, while maintaining personal joy and health, and having basic needs met. But beyond that -- I am feeling a sense of urgency, with our apocalyptic climate situation, that my way of living needs to be more radical than just trying to do less harm -- it needs to be REGENERATIVE. To my own soul, to the earth. It needs to be courageous and disruptive, deeply rooted in healing and the growth of new possibilities.
IS THAT POSSIBLE WITHIN CAPITALISM? When people are literally DYING on Black Friday and oil is being pumped out of the ground at record levels, not because we actually need it but because it stuffs someone's bank account? When the system as it stands allows for this kind of exploitative, toxic behavior, WHY is it worth maintaining?? What alternatives can we (must we) create?
Thoughts ???
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This book has fueled a lot of my contemplation of these themes of capitalism / work / consumerism / meaning / healing / purpose. I think it's highly worth reading yourself because this guy has a fascinating & complex story, but essentially he gave up money entirely in the year 2000 for moral and spiritual reasons, and has been operating outside of the system as much as possible, living in caves, foraging, & dumpster diving. He was frustrated with the way that money corrupts, and how the (materially) rich share very little while the (materially) poor tend to give freely. He's gotten a lot of criticism for his way of life, which of course is not everyone's cup of tea --- and it's true that this lifestyle would be much more difficult if not impossible for someone who isn't a white man, a reality which unfortunately is not addressed in the book. That being said, I resonated with his need to find freedom and meaning outside of capitalism and the modern work machine. I admire his courage, faith and resourcefulness in going completely against the grain of how we've been conditioned, and living in a way that feels true to him.
Check it out so we can discuss!!
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*art stuff*
THIS WEEKEND!!!!!
CLOTH RE-USABLE NAPKINS ! COOL T-SHIRTS ! A HAND-PAINTED SKIRT ! STICKERS ! BUTTONS ! MAGICAL JEWELRY ! ORIGINAL ARTWORK ! CUTE RE-USABLE BAGS ! PEACE & LOVE !
I'm excited to share that there will be a Church of Earth table at this lovely market this weekend! Many of the things I have been making lately are for sale and they are quite cute if you ask me. All are made ((with love)) from materials already in the waste stream -- sourced from thrift stores, discarded trash on the ground, etc. and are designed to inspire happy magical feelings and relationship with the Earth. There will be lots of other awesome vendors there selling handcrafted goods for healing, adornment, and (r)evolution. 10% of all the sales go to Colorado Circles for Change.
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~ Yes, perhaps there is irony in the fact that I have just written several paragraphs above about my conflicted feelings about capitalism and such and here I am encouraging you to come buy things from me -- ha! I don't have all the answers -- but I do believe an important cultural shift is prioritizing supporting the local economy and creatives that put care, thought, and intention into their work rather than continuing to support greedy corporate billionaires that hire people on low wages to crank out a bunch of cheap plastic crap requiring copious amounts of fossil fuels.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
~* I hope you can make it!! *~
P.S. After the market I will be adding the remaining items + more to my online shop, stay tuned.
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GOOD NEWS TODAY ON PLANET EARTH:
1. As you probably already know, women, minorities, and LGBTQ candidates made history (theirstory?) this election. Finally some more diversity!!!
2. A federal judge BLOCKED the approval of the Keystone XL pipeline.
3. Since 2012, over 46 million women in the world's lowest income countries got access to contraception, and with it autonomy of their own bodies.
4. A new plastic-free shop opened up in Durango, CO so people can buy household essentials without the waste. :)
5. Indian students mailed 20,000 plastic food wrappers BACK to the manufacturers, asking them to implement eco-friendly packaging.
6. New York City is making moves to cut their carbon emissions, hoping to set an example for other cities.
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DIRECT ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE:
1. VOTE with your Dollar!! Or don't.
In the spirit of this letter's themes, and now that the political voting season is behind us, how can we Vote every day for the world we want to live in? We can support causes, humans, and organizations we believe in. We can invest in renewable energy and health. We can divest from fossil fuels. We can choose not to spend money at all this holiday season and instead give our loved ones the gift of our presence, lend them a book, sing them a song, cook them a delicious meal, listen to their fears and dreams. We can vote for observing and feeling rather than distracting ourselves with smart phones and social media. We can vote for a walk in the fresh air instead of a walk through a mall. We can vote for local growers and creators instead of Amazon and Monsanto. We can vote for rest and spaciousness instead of the constant rush. Vote for LOVE! Vote for a new way of life!!!
-
also:
"be forgiving of your humanity."
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Thank you wonderful Earthlings for opening and reading this email! Thank you for sharing interesting news and links with me to populate the Good News section! Feel free to share this newsletter with anyone you think might be interested. :) I'm always curious to know what's on your mind, what you're creating, feeling, and learning about. Have a GREAT DAY!
with gratitude,
Rachel
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Earthling News! is a production of Church of Earth, an independent exploration of Earth & personal healing through art, community, and conversation. Brought to you by Rachel Zetah Becker since 2016.
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