How are you, friends? How is 2019 treating you thus far? For me, it has been a hectic scramble of work, home, changes, decisions, running out of money…. We’re only two weeks in and I’m in the eye of a storm where so much is changing and so much remains the same. None of it is solidified just yet, but in the spirit of my recent ‘Unfuck your Life’ blog posts (one, two, and three) I’m simplifying my life in order that I can…
Stop
Slow down
Audit
Think about the future
I planned a gargantuan de-clutter of our home in 2019. I hoped, in a way I wasn’t sure was naive or sensible, that the majority would be completed by the end of January. And I wish that I’d taken some “before” shots, friends, because Mr J-M and I are making SUCH progress and I am SO proud of us both. This has been hard work, mentally and physically! I (like Jack Monroe) am becoming increasingly protective of Marie Kondo and her gentle wisdom. That it has become commodified is a complicated thing, but the theory is absolutely sound and I’ve had a Thing Or Two to say about it on Twitter….
It’s not so much the smug Fight Club-esque mantra of your things owning you…. There can be enormous power in sitting with your surroundings and objects and making decisions about both, and about the future.
— jenny marie • vegan killjoy ✌🏻 (@jennymarievegan) January 11, 2019
Anyhoo. There’s a lot brewing. It’s really all about moving forward, getting a bit more enlightened, teaching this old dog some new tricks. You know what I’m grateful for? I’m grateful for people who are open and honest and vulnerable about their own struggles and about their evolution(s) and their own learning. That’s pretty powerful too.
For now, how about some links? It’s Monday, so grab a tasty beverage and a biscuit and have a wee read. (Those signed up to my mailing list got first view of these, as well as a slightly more personal re-cap of our Christmas. Sign up if you like!)
So, very eclectic list of articles and/or resources that I have found interesting/inspiring recently:
- Disability and Veganism
A great post discussing some of the barriers disabled vegans face, and offering some helpful tips to tackle them. - Diversify your Veganism 2019
A post by me that does exactly what it says on the tin! - Lulu & the Lobster
An innovative online workshop by Dr A. Breeze Harper on 22 January 2019 that will give participants beginner tools and frameworks to enhance how they engage with diversity, equity, and inclusion as animal advocates and/or vegans within the USA. (Also suitable for people living outside the USA!) - Sanctuary Publishers’ Mail-a-Book drive
For 2019 Sanctuary is offering you the opportunity to purchase books at a discounted rate to send to an organisation of your choice. That might be your local library, community centre, shelter, prison library, school(s), Universities, or initiatives by/for people of colour in your community. - Not my Burning Times: Witch trials, oppression, and magical identity making
“Whole cultures are lost to the violence of colonialism, and it is more than just magick that they work to regain.” - Neither of my parents was exactly who I thought they were (Elizabeth Wurtzel)
- I’m hoping this ancient behavioral theory will help me connect with my frustrated 4-year-old
Start by substituting ‘but’ with ‘and’. - In the time of #SurvivingRKelly…. Roxane Gay’s Can I Enjoy the Art but Denounce the Artist? is relevant as heck.
“He once created great art, and then he destroyed his great art. The responsibility for that destruction is his and his alone. We are free to lament it, but not at the expense of his victims.” - Support London’s first Black Feminist Bookshop!
- Support the Vegans of Color 2019 mini-conference funding drive.
- New Year, Same You: Anti-Resolution Edition: My Only Weight to Lose is Body Shame
- Black horror in trailer for documentary Horror Noire
- ‘Disabled saviour’ videos aren’t heartwarming – they’re patronising and disturbing
- Winners of the 2018 Nikon Small World Contest (amazing micro-photography)
Additional to those in the email:
- Khan Academy (Free online learning!!)
- ‘Tidying Up with Marie Kondo’ Is Inadvertently About Women’s Invisible Labor
- Veganism and a Non-Diet Approach to Nutrition
- Marks & Spencer Launches Range of 350 Affordable Vegan Shoes (FINALLY VEGAN WIDE-FITS I’VE WAITED A DECADE!!)
And so that’s that for now, my friends. I am planning some fun blog stuff in 2019 and (for a number of reasons) should have more time to dedicate to the fun stuff (like taking photos of food, etc.)
How is your 2019 so far?
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So many mixed feeling about Marie Kondo! Overall I like her. I think there is a lot to be said about learning how to be organized, especially in the states, because Americans have big homes and sometimes never learn to make use of the space they have. When we first moved to our house, my husband made some comment about getting a bigger home, which is absurd, this house is bigger than the one I grew up in. He changed his statement to we need a house with a better layout (okay, this statement is right)
I haven’t read Marie’s book yet, but I have a feeling there is a lot of non specifics, so you can take whatever you want from the book. So you can say “it’s all about consumerism! You get rid of stuff so you can buy more!” or you say “she wants you to be more mindful about your purchases!” So far from reading articles about her, and watching only one episode on Netflix, I think being mindful about what you buy is a strong part of the lesson. I do worry that this goes over people’s heads.
I can’t see the argument that Marie Kondo is a little privileged. The idea that you can just get rid of stuff that doesn’t spark joy does mean you have the money to buy enough clothes that you just toss them when they start to get holes in them. When working at Aldi’s I saw a lot of people wearing clothes that would normally been tossed in the trash. I also think there is something to be said about saving things even when they don’t fit, or are old. I saved my bras when I lost weight, but when I got pregnant it was so rewarding to just pull them from storage and be able to wear them. Or to save nails, old doorknobs, etc so when something breaks you can find the old one and use it until you can replace it. But I am sure she addresses it, and I saw something to that degree in first episode where she says you have to SEE the stuff so you can find them easily. Which I totally agree with.
lol sorry this is so long. I have been doing a lot of self reflection over this topic. Same with the minimalism movement. I have see some great stuff from it, and some really stupid stuff. Like a friend who kept giving away then buying new shoes because she wanted to simplify her life, but really just made it more stressful and complicated for herself. Anyways, thanks for giving a place to dump all my thoughts lol
Thanks for a thoughtful comment! I think the most important aspect is that folks should take from it what serves them – it won’t be for everyone, and that’s okay! I think there are a lot of myth-conceptions about MK and Konmari! She is very gentle and kind with people and never questions their own ‘spark-joy’ moments. She absolutely encourages people to be mindful about consuming stuff, and really enjoy what they have, for sure! Ultimately the whole philosophy has been really healing and peace-giving for me so far. We’ve found wonderful and lovely items and souvenirs in our house that, sure, we owned before now, but never actually got any pleasure from. Jack Monroe did a great series of tweets about it (linked in the post above) as someone who came from poverty and hoarded ‘things’ once they had the means to, and how that is a tough habit to un-learn. I identify with that a little bit. I’m really questioning my relationship with consumerism and STUFF this year though and I’ve found MK to be a very soft and gentle first step into that sticky thicket 😀