Category Archives: Adventures in Activism

Sep11

Activist Community Potluck

Posted on by
Activist Community Potluck

5-8pm, Sunday September 19th
Malvern Hills Park
Asheville, NC

This is the first of many monthly potlucks, each on a different topic, and each in a different location. All activists, community builders and leaders, and any community members are welcome. This is a great opportunity to get together, build relationships, network, share ideas, brainstorm, and synergize.

This month’s topic is Food Security, a very hot topic these days. If catastrophe strikes, will Asheville have enough food? …What would it take to create a food security plan for 2011? How can we network and work together so that everyone will have enough to eat if, for example, we can no longer ship food into our city?

The majority of our time together will be spent having conversations amongst ourselves, and getting to know one another. However, we will circle up to do introductions and also do have a brief brainstorming session to get the juices flowing. We hope that the conversations of the evening will lead to future alliances, and plant seeds for future work between individuals and groups in the community.

Sep11

Screening of “2012: Time for Change”

Posted on by
Screening of “2012: Time for Change”

Evolver Asheville is offering an advanced screening of “2012: Time for Change.”

“2012: Time for Change” presents an optimistic alternative to apocalyptical doom and gloom.

Directed by Emmy Award nominee João Amorim, the ?lm follows journalist Daniel Pinchbeck, author of the bestselling 2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl, on a quest for a new paradigm that integrates the archaic wisdom of tribal cultures with the scienti?c method. As… conscious agents of evolution, we can redesign post-industrial society on ecological principles to make a world that works for all.

Rather than breakdown and barbarism, 2012 heralds the birth of a regenerative planetary culture where collaboration replaces competition, where exploration of psyche and spirit becomes the new cutting edge, replacing the sterile materialism that has pushed our world to the brink.

$5 dollar suggested donation (to pay for use of the DVD and use of the space), but nobody will be turned away (or embarrassed) for lack of funds. We will pass a hat after the movie is over.

7pm, Saturday September 18th
Firestorm Cafe
48 Commerce Street
Asheville, NC 28801

To RSVP, click here.

Sep11

Action Asheville Listserv

Posted on by
Action Asheville Listserv

Created a listserv called Action Asheville. Action Asheville is a forum to bring together groups and individuals dreaming of ways to make Asheville and the world a better place. None of the work we do exists in a vacuum, and all that we do is interconnected. As Martin Luther King Jr. said, what we need is a revolution of values. All oppression is interrelated, and also all avenues of awakening are interconnected with each other. If we work together, we are stronger.

On this forum, we will announce upcoming events and calls to action. We will offer our work to the community, and also share our needs (for volunteers, for resources, etc). We will share links with interesting information, and we will have discussions about not only the work we are each individually doing, but discussions about how we can work together and serve each other.

This group is not limited to those who are already doing work in the community or world. Anyone can join who has an interest of doing this work, or learning more about this work. This group is not only for us talking with and working with each other, but also is a place where people can come to learn how to get involved.

To get involved, click here.

Aug31

Making My Way

Posted on by
Making My Way

I have come to a juncture where I must start making money. And, let’s be clear, after paying for taxes, childcare and gas, $10/hour doesn’t really make much money. It makes a tiny bit of money, but not enough to benefit me much. So, I need ways to make money that either make more than $10/hour or that I don’t need to use childcare for (like, providing childcare in people’s homes).

I am open to a range of options, although a limited range, because I really do want to stay in Asheville. Sadly, there’s not a lot of work here, certainly not above $10/hour. If I were open to moving to big cities, with my video background, I’d have a chance of making real money. But, I really feel that Asheville is where I need and want to be.

I am doing a lot of work in the world right now, none of it paid, but all of it is important to me. With my radio show, my events planning, etc, I am highlighting the consciousness shift that’s happening, connecting the dots between different aspect of the shifts going on right now, bringing to the front people whose work is centered around the shift, facilitating community building around positive change, and providing a voice for interconnectedness, shared power and community togetherness.

One of the options I’m considering as a career is consulting. Perhaps I can be a consultant to businesses that want to know how to incorporate these values into their missions.

Eventually, I’d like my radio show to be nationally syndicated, and that could make me a little money, but radio is not known for being a profitable biz for most. Ditto for writing. So, these are avenues I’d still like to pursue, but will definitely not make me money in the time frame I need them to right now.

Another idea I’ve been tossing around is doing personal consultations with individuals who also feel the consciousness shift happening, and want help discovering their role in it. I have a particular gift for seeing other people’s giftedness, and I think that, in this role, I could be an empowering force in people’s lives. I could use my skills for deep, intuitive listening to help people discover what has been within them all along, and provide encouragement and ideas for how to move forward with it. If you might be interested in this service, let me know, and we could set up a time to talk. Conversely, if you are already doing work in the world around the consciousness shift, but aren’t sure in which ways you are being effective or not effective, I’d be happy to provide a loving critique with ideas for places to strengthen the work you are already doing. With either of these services, I won’t have a set fee (because I’m just getting started), but will request love offerings, which means you could pay me whatever you felt you were able/what it was worth to you, after the session.

The last couple money-generating ideas I have are more practical, but may very well save my butt in the coming months. The first possibility is childcare. This usually doesn’t pay much, but at least I’m not paying for someone else to care for Joy in the meantime. Joy would love the extra social interaction, and playing with kids is fun. My childcare rates are flexible, depending on the needs of the family.

The last idea I have is house-cleaning. I have had friends who have done this, and made a living. Often, you can charge $25/hour for light cleaning, and that obviously would easily pay for the childcare needed, plus leaving me with money after. I’m also happy to do deep cleaning as well, but would charge more. I’m an excellent deep cleaner, which I attribute to my moon in Virgo! : ) If you live in Asheville, and want this kind of service, let me know, or let me know if you know anybody who is looking for something like this. Thanks! I’d like to get the word around. Ditto for the childcare.

Also, I’d like to humbly state that I also accept donations. Nope, I don’t mean “hand-outs,” I mean donations. Meaning, that if you like my work and would like to see me keep doing it, then perhaps you will consider supporting the work via some moula. Contact me if you might be interested in this or anything else I mentioned in this post.

If you are interested in contacting me about any of the above (or even anything else I haven’t yet thought of), you can contact me at girlchasingfrogs (at) gmail.com

Thank you!

Aug13

8/21 – Day of Action!

Posted on by
8/21 – Day of Action!

Evolver Asheville, Transition Asheville and Ashevillage Institute
are hosting a DAY OF ACTION!!!!

10am-5pm GETTING OUR HANDS DIRTY
At the Ashevillage Institute (directions below)
……
Bring a bag lunch and tools (wheel barrows, shovels, hard rakes, garden trowels, gloves, sneakers, weed whacker, buckets, tarps)

7-9pm FORMING ACTION ALLIANCES
Firestorm Cafe, 48 Commerce Street, Asheville, 28801

Creative Collaboration on future projects by individuals and organizations from Urban crop-mobbing to co-sponsored film screenings to anything we can dream up together… Bring your ideas and enthusiasm!!!

__________________________________________________________

Directions to Ashevillage Institute for Getting our Hands Dirty:

From downtown to 80 Buchanan Ave. Asheville, NC 28801
828.279.1955 :: info@ashevillage.org
Do NOT use Mapquest or Google — both will mislead you.

–> Take Biltmore Ave past the French Broad Food Coop and The Orange Peel, thru 2 lights, heading south, down hill, away from town.
–> After 2nd light, make LEFT onto McCORMICK at corner of Citgo Station.
–> Immediate RIGHT onto BUCHANAN AVE toward McCormick Stadium.
–> Keep right, up hill, past green lot
–> At top of hill, LEFT onto Buchanan Place.
–> PARK in lot by McCormick Field, then WALK back over to Buchanan Avenue and make a LEFT.
–> Come up 1st drive on left with adobe arch in front. Come around back.

Aug3

Activism Alert: BP bill goes to Senate!

Posted on by
Activism Alert: BP bill goes to Senate!

I just found out the BP bill is expected to go to a vote in the Senate tomorrow. It does hold BP a bit more accountable, although this is tough to do post-spill, but it does create more protections for the gulf and for the coastlines of the US. This is a great opportunity to let your elected officials know where you stand!!!! Please call your senators and ask them to vote YES for the BP bill!

If you live in North Carolina, call:

Senator Kay Hagan
Phone: 202-224-6342

Senator Richard Burr
Phone: 202-224-3154

If you live anywhere else in the US, you can use this link to find the numbers for your senators:

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

While our elected representatives do not always do what their voters demand, they do often pay attention to the number of calls about topics. If they are flooded with messages to do something, they are more likely to do that thing. When you call, you will not be able to probably talk to the senator directly, but leave a message. They tally the calls, emails, letters, etc. It’s very not scary, once you do it. Just call, say “I’d like to leave a message for the senator” and then when they ask for the message, say, ” I want the Senator to vote YES for the BP bill.” They will then ask for your name and zip code, and that’s usually the extent of it. It goes very quickly.

I remember the first time I tried calling one of my representatives. It was while I was living in Chicago, about a year and a half ago. I blogged about it, too! You can check it out HERE.

Jun16

Successful Oil Spill Solidarity Event!!!

Posted on by
Successful Oil Spill Solidarity Event!!!

Here’s a write-up of today’s event:

6/16 Oil Spill Solidarity Event

It was a great time. We got more of a positive reaction than I had even expected, which is awesome. This is my first time being part of an event anything like this, so it’s very cool!

If you are interested in finding out about future events, or even if you are not local and are interested in a great model for expressing solidarity and creating change… check out our Facebook Page.

Jun12

Oil Spill Solidarity Movement

Posted on by
Oil Spill Solidarity Movement

Some friends and I are organizing a movement and an event in Asheville. We got tired of feeling helpless about the oil spill situation, and decided to do something.

It starts with an event, next Wednesday. We will stand outside of a BP, holding hands, in a gesture of solidarity with those most effected by the oil spill. That’s where it begins, but we will go farther than that. At the event, we will hand out fliers with information about how people can speak out, demand accountability, help the clean-up situation in the gulf, and ultimately, reduce oil dependency. Because our oil addiction is the real problem, individual people can make a difference by even making small lifestyle changes.

Also, we have a website and a facebook page. HERE is a link to the event next Wednesday. I invite you to join the facebook group, as well as consider RSVP-ing for the event if you are local. On the group page, we will continue to post lots of information about steps people can take to make a difference. Also, we will post updates on the oil spill situation as well as information about future events.

Feb1

Piercing the Shared Dream

Posted on by
Piercing the Shared Dream

I watched the Matrix yesterday, first time I’ve watched it in a few years. It’s still a damn good movie!

While watching it, I realized that all my career interests rotate around the same goal: piercing and eventually deconstructing the shared dream.

I used to think this was the question:
What is real and what is not?

But now, I’m asking different kinds of questions:
Who creates our shared reality?
Who benefits?
How do humans learn what is real, and how is this process disturbed or enhanced?
How does the shared dream enhance or limit the quality of our individual and community lives?
How can we deconstruct our perceptions of and stories about “the way the world is” in a way that will empower individuals and enhance our communities?
How can alternate views be introduced?

Here’s how it came together in my head:

The media (as well as art, literature, etc) we consume informs our understanding of culture, relationships, and even the nature of how life works. This is why the arts are so important! And, with most of popular media being controlled by major corporations, our culture is being strangled. Ideas that are controversial or revolutionary, that challenge the status quo are silenced by mainstream media. People are consumed by the latest celebrity scandals, reality tv shows and national politics that they are absent from their own lives and are zombies in their own communities. The media tells us who we are, how the world works, and in return we get to “relax” by zoning out in front of the TV, a risk-free way to “live,” (after all, your TV won’t reject you, David Letterman smiles at you, you won’t look stupid in front of anyone).

National Television creates a cultural homogeneity that not only guarentees big profit for big businesses, but also quells civic activism. People are treated as consumers not citizens and act suchly, thereby enforcing the profit margin. Maybe we are not really living in little glass pods like the fields in the Matrix, but is it really so different? Corporations are making lots and lots of money off us as our local communities fall apart. Because we are so “plugged in,” we only become more and more alienated from each other. Less invested in our community and our families, everyone ultimately suffers.

I have always been fascinated by the way that people create the structures of their realities. Having dealt with severe mental illness in my early twenties, I’ve spent almost my entire adulthood deconstructing and rebuilding the way my brain works. I have nearly completely rebuilt my personal paradigm from scratch. So, I’m in a pretty unique position to examine the process of paradigm shifting. Also, I’ve learned a lot by watching my daughter, Joy, learn about the world. If you want to understand your brain, read some child development books!

So, I can almost hear the more practical of you asking, “what do you even mean by ‘reality?’”
Great question! So, I’ll ask you some questions in return! The answers are not right or wrong, but each your answers demonstrate a bit of your reality. Your reality (or I guess your beliefs about reality) generally shape your actions.

How can a person be successful in life?
Can anyone be successful?
What is success?
Is there such a thing as luck?
Is there such a thing as Karma?
What kind of other influences affect the outcomes in your life?
How important is independance?
How much interdependance is healthy?
What impact does your life have on other people?
How does your affluence (or lack thereof) effect other people?
How does your life effect the environment?
Do you feel (emotionally/energetically) connected with other people?
What is your responsibility to the people in your community?
What is your community’s responsibility to you?

So, why do I want to deconstruct the shared dream? Because I believe our culture needs to become self-aware if we are to avoid total self-destruction. I really believe that our country and culture has been hijacked by big corporations, and we need to take back our power. A few days ago, I asked how do we do that? This is my answer.

Here’s where my interests come in:

Media Literacy Education:
Teaching critical thinking skills around media messages

Filmmaking:
Through creative storytelling, challenging cultural constructs and offering alternatives (especially the alternative idea that reality is malleable, and every individual has more power than they know

Activism:
Challenging existing structures to improve

Mysticism:
Continuing to explore, through trance, meditation, ritual and other experiences of the divine, the nature of reality itself. Continue self-exploration to clear beliefs or perceptions that are destructive or limiting.

girlchasingfrogs.com:
Continue to document and explore my explorations into the nature of reality, perceptions of reality, and processes of change-making

Hope you stay tuned! I’d love to hear your thoughts about any/all of this!

Blessed Be!

Jan27

Corporate “Culture” has hijacked the USA; What do we DO?

Posted on by
Corporate “Culture” has hijacked the USA; What do we DO?

Corporatations have taken over the country (literally and figuratively), and I wonder every day if there is anything we as citizens can do to save ourselves. One of the career directions I am purusing is Media Literacy Education. Basically, Media Literacy Education is about the development of critical thinking skills in regards to the media. Just as one example, advertising in particular actively tries to create image insecurity in girls and women, not only teaching them that they are not beautiful enough but that beauty is what matters. They do this in order to sell their products, by insinuating that girls will be prettier (and therefore happier) if they buy the products. Messages planting insecurity are pervasive in advertising, as well as “creative” media content.

The media uses all kinds of methods to communicating cultural values. I’ve been doing a lot of reading lately about how pervasively corporate advertising has hijacked American culture. I’ve long known this is a problem, but just recently realized how big of a problem it really is. It’s very scary.

Here is a link to a (no longer printed) publication called “The New Citizen,” published by the Citizens for Media Literacy, an organization in Asheville, NC. One thing that is talked about here is how corporate journalism becomes watered down in order to placate advertisers. Real, investigative journalism is actively discouraged when it could piss off a sponser or advertiser.

The article states, “This is a kind of media self-censorship inconceivable to the framers of the First Amendment, whose aim was to protect the media from government censorship. But this protection means little when media censor themselves, a practice critics call “economic censorship.”

Yep! But what can we do? Media Literacy courses are one step, but is it enough to really protect our country from these challenges we face?

Also, a country inundated with corporate values is discourages citizen participation or discourse. The article makes a strong point about this too: “By incessantly focusing attention on the self, advertising culture discourages awareness of the world outside the self. This passivity is further reinforced by a bureaucratic culture that discourages citizen activism. This “go along to get along” mentality paints citizen activists as troublesome nay-sayers incapable of being team players.”

Again, what do we do? This is all, of course, even scarier now with the recent Supreme Court ruling. So scary! Are we lost? Do we have a chance? What can we do? Any ideas?