Tuesday is always the worst day.

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the beautiful worst

10.20.20 vol. 6 - issue 6

I was looking over the pieces I wrote this year and realized a lot of them shared a common theme: failure. It wasn't intentional, but maybe, given the tone and events of 2020, it wasn't surprising. But on second look, I saw these pieces aren't just about failure, but what happens when we don't let failure define us. What's more important is what happens next: endurance, resilience, growth, and hope. I hope that this issue of The Beautiful Worst can share a look at transformation through failure, and serve as a small reminder, Keep going. xo.Katie

Selected Reading on Resilience

13 Quotes by Bruce Lee on Success and Failure by Joe Donan

Be Like Water: The Philosophy and Origin of Bruce Lee's Famous Metaphor for Resilience by Maria Popova

Fall down seven times, stand up eight

-Zen Proverb

Public Displays of Resilience

In 2019, Kansas City based artist and writer Nicole Leth saved her paychecks from teaching yoga to put up her first affirmation billboard, a pale pink sign announcing You are human, You are lovable, You are strong, You are enough to drivers on U.S. Highway 71. After losing her father to suicide at the age of 17, Leth made a promise to herself that she'd save a life with her art. In the last year since her first billboard, her messages of strength and love have been shared on 600 billboards around the world. Learn more about her work or support her efforts on Patreon.

Recent Work on Failure + Resilience

On Failure

In which the writer decides to quit writing.

The Sweetest Thing

In which the writer repeatedly botches attempts at baking.

Coping with Rejection for Writers

In which the writer shares her top tips on coping with rejection.

A Beautiful Worst Throwback: vol 1 issue 8

Left: artist unknown. Right: banner by Andy Li

Published in October 2015, The Beautiful Worst vol 1 issue 8 was shared in praise of flipping someone off. It feels apt to look back on those sentiments in October 2020.

T-minus two weeks until Election Day

While this issue of The Beautiful Worst is a celebration of failure and resilience, I wanted to share a reminder to strive towards a system that doesn't demand us to summon our resilience. We deserve a system we can thrive in, instead of fighting to survive.

There's a lot of work to do, and voting won't solve everything, but it is a critical step. Make your voting plan at vote.org. If you've already voted, reach out to your friends to see if they have a plan.

There are also lots of organizations working to help mobilize voters. I'm text banking with Field Team 6 to register democrats in battleground states.

Your Turn!

Last month I asked readers, Who's your favorite indie bookstore?

"Gotta give a shout-out to Moon Palace Books in Minneapolis and the new Black-owned bookstore in Minnesota, Black Garnet Books. Moon Palace Books is located almost next door to the 3rd precinct building in Minneapolis, the one that was burned down during the protests immediately following George Floyd's murder. In fact, the police wanted to use Moon Palace's parking lot as a staging area and they stood their ground and kept it as a spot to take care of protestors. They were the ones who had 'Abolish the Police' across their building."

-Amanda, Minneapolis, MN

"Powell's Books for nothing shy of magic when I walk those floors. For taking a stand with BLM and cutting the Amazon cord. For keeping Portland weird."

-Aubrey, Portland, OR

This month's question: What are your tips on coping through difficult times?

Reply to this email with your advice to readers and I'll share it in the next issue of The Beautiful Worst!

Stay Safe + Be well!

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