Setting boundaries is so 2019...
Setting intentions, establishing boundaries, and being in flow are all getting on my last nerve.
Okay — I am just going to start out by saying that I do actually believe having healthy boundaries, setting intentions, and flowing with the universe are useful practices. That being said, when I hear the Kardashians’ verbal fried moans about ‘setting boundaries’ (despite having signed up for endless seasons of a reality tv show based on their personal lives) or Tom Sandoval throwing the need to have boundaries at Jax Taylor during a fight between two men rapidly approaching middle age in a show centered on their friend group’s personal conflict (Vanderpump Rules to be exact), I’m left wondering if the idea of setting boundaries has lost all meaning. Is it proof that personal development has spread as far as reality TV or is it a warning that something as sacred as inner work has been co-opted to solidify our selfishness and disconnect from the collective? Is it possible that exercises like “setting boundaries” have become new age-y ways of refusing to take ownership, change, or examine the ways we are perpetuating injustices by insulating ourselves from anything that doesn’t bring us positive feels? And, if that’s the case, what can we do to ensure ‘setting boundaries’ doesn’t take on the same ickiness of sage smudges and crystals sold by Urban Outfitters and TJ Maxx?
Here I am offering three steps to reclaim our power and enact positive change in our community by embodying our values and infusing our everyday practices with their energy.
So the world is starting to emerge from quarantine…
But what does that mean for Broad Room?
The quarantine has proven to be a good time to meditate on the future of Broad Room, deepen my connections with the community, and crystallize this little arts organization’s place in the world.
For now, my future plans are still germinating, but they will be announced as they come to fruition.
All of this is to say that Broad Room will be slowly reopening when it feels right, when it serves the community’s highest good, and will be guided by recommendations from public health officials.
For now, there are a few ways you can support Broad Room’s work, help us to continue to pay our bills, and support vulnerable artists during this transitionary time.
Contribute to Broad Room directly so we can continue to forgive rent for our 14 studio artists.
Donate to the Sacramento Covid-19 Artist Relief Fund. We continue to receive requests for funding, indicating that some folks still aren’t getting the support they require to financially survive the quarantine.
Isolation Tips from Disabled Justice Advocates
This week on Instagram, I’ve been sharing insights from local Disabled Justice activists about their personal experience with isolation.
Emerson, one of the activists, offered these useful tips for everyone experiencing isolation and the mental health issues that tend to accompany it. They are a blogger with a ton of resources on their blog too.
1. Not every day will be a good day! Have some comfort media prepared (I recommend Schitt's Creek!) in the case that you need to just stay on the couch all day. Know that the part of you telling you to be more productive is a product of capitalism and not a real moral standard.
2. Open your windows! If possible, sit on the porch. Drink your coffee while soaking up the sun. It's good for you.
3. Have a hobby! Really, have a hobby. It can feel stupid, like paint-by-number, but you need something to do that makes you happy. You need to create your own joy. Reading has been incredible for me.
4. Connect with your loved ones in ways that are accessible to you. This can be texting, a phone call, Facetime, or writing letters. You don't have to be talking the whole time. Sometimes it's nice to just sit on the phone while you go about your day. If you have trouble reaching out, ask your friends to reach out to you! Plan a daily check-in or a weekly phone call.
4a. If you don't have a strong support system, seek those who have similar experiences to you on the internet. Reddit, Facebook, Wordpress...all of these websites have communities that are waiting for you to join. Similarly, reading a memoir, reading blog posts, or watching videos created by those who share your experience can help you feel less alone.
5. Prepare ahead! Some nights you might not have the spoons to cook dinner. Have canned soup or frozen meals ready to go.
6. Anything worth doing fully is worth doing partially. Wear jeans for only half the day. Brush your teeth for 30 seconds. Snack at mealtime. Do what you are able to do to take care of yourself.
7. Maintain your boundaries. Being isolated can make it harder to listen to your needs, but it's important to communicate when you need time to yourself, need a break from talking about a certain topic, can't consume certain types of media, etc.
Have you signed up for my next virtual workshop yet? It’s donation-based + everyone who signs up will get a recording emailed to them following the live class!
We will meet, greet, and thank our inner critic for their protection. Then, we will figure out how to transform our critic together in order to achieve our dreams, imagine the best life for ourselves, and make it a reality.
Week ahead tarot reading
Message from the Unconscious 5 of Cups (reversed): The 5 of Cups is a card about mindfulness, particularly mindfulness about where we are putting our energy. It is a card that carries feelings of tiredness, overwork, and feeling under appreciated. As a message from the unconscious, this indicates a need to reexamine where we are placing our energy especially when we feel drained. How can you reorient to filling up your own cup this week?
Message from the Conscious 10 of Pentacles: The 10 of Pentacles is a breath of fresh air after being cooped up at home during quarantine. It is the warmth of spring, it is the feeling of school ending and summer coming… it is a lot of feels that have seemed far away during this time. While we are all itching to get outside and return to some version of normalcy, it is still too early. Just because stores are reopening and restaurants are offering dine-in service doesn’t mean this pandemic is over or that people will stop dying.
Message from the Soul Novice of Pentacles (reversed): While our Conscious is thirsty for normalcy and bored with quarantine, our soul is reminding us to connect with the collective and ourselves in creative ways. It’s a time to get curious about our wealth of resources (whether it’s money or other material goods) and figure out how to share that wealth. It is a time to consider what we have learned during the pandemic and how we can bring that into the world that exists post-pandemic.
Stuff I’m into right now
Catching up with Insecure on HBO. This show makes me ache for LA, tbh. It’s beautiful, funny, well-written, hella relatable and I really missed it last year.
Bringing a library + outdoor hangout spot to Broad Room. Broad Room got a v generous donation of all these books today from a former member who is moving away from Sacramento. Now I’m considering how to share them. I am also figuring out how to make an outdoor hang out spot behind the warehouse. If you have any outdoor umbrella recommendations, let me know!
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xoxo
Claire