We will need all these skills, and more, to survive, and come out poised to thrive, on the other side of this coup we are in.
So, I call Friday a win. Let’s learn what we need to from this one and go harder tomorrow.

we practiced knowing we do have power and agency
we practiced using the levers of capitalism to shape the world we want
we practiced saying not today, not here, not this
we practiced paying more attention to who gets our money and who in our community we want to engage with.

On Friday, we practiced:
we practiced saying “no” and “listen to us” and “we matter”
we practiced doing different in support of a greater good
we practiced moving as body, however imperfect we are

We shared rides. We didn’t just talk about the broken kiln, but had explicit conversation, and connected action, about how we could move together.

I can separate a good idea from an individual; I can move with collective action without giving a problematic individual any power or energy.

Friday came and I had to look at how I was moving through my day – parking meters are more often paid with credit cards than coins these days. I went into my studio and talked with the other potters about how we were navigating the meters and a commitment to not use our credit cards.

and we shared the numbers of the big box chains to call to let them know we wanted DEI programs and commitments back (and reminded each other the person the phone would not be the ones in charge of those decisions).

And, I added to it. When I organized folks in my community to encourage others to join in, we wrote personal messages of community, we named specific, local BIPOC-owned business folks could patronize instead,

single white dude calling his group a union but with no other visible leadership? Nope, not getting my money or any of my energy. A person putting a good idea out there that I can get down with, totally on board.

Friday Was Not A Failure
The economic blackout on Friday was not a failure, and let’s not get lured into arguments about it being such. I checked the origins of the action before sharing it with my networks:

[Image: Abstract water color of rings of color with the words "make good trouble" and inverted triangles stamped on it]

New to Blue Sky. Just saying hi