can we get politically activated AND maintain joy? i think yes.

let's hang out in salt lake city (and online) and talk about maintaining advocacy joy during the election season

Good morning and happy Friday to us,

Y’all, I think I’ve gone off the deep end. I’ve crossed the threshold of no return. There’s no going back for me now: I am full of hope about the election and our collective future. ✨ Truly a bizarre feeling after the years 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020*, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. Are you feeling this too?

*2020 almost gets a pass for un-electing Trump but lest we forget the pandemmy.

The complicated thing about getting excited for an election is the harsh reality that there’s no perfect candidate, and no volume of stoke can gloss over the fact that no viable American presidential option will be 100% aligned to our values and ethics. I’ve decided to get excited anyways. I’ve decided we’re smart and capable enough to balance both.

Before I dive too deep into the murky waters of the digital world during an election season, I’m preparing to engage with politics, advocacy, and activism differently than I used to. As my friend Jose Gonzalez says, “Less doom and gloom, more do and bloom.”

I think we’re all done with the way the digital space and political engagement has made us feel the last few election cycles. Our mushy human beings need less doom scrolling, fewer bad faith debates in the comment sections, a significant tone shift from the everything-is-bad-and-we’re-all-screwed lifestyle we’ve been stuck in.

Is the world still actively falling apart and is climate change gonna get us all in the end? Yes –– but I’ve decided I might as well enjoy the good bits while we’ve still got ‘em.

Further, I’ve realized that being stressed out, bummed out, and pissed off about the state of ~it all~ the last few years hasn’t helped me be a more effective change-maker. Sulking in the realities of this harsh world hasn’t helped me contribute better to the solutions.

So I’m trying something different.

This election season you’ll see me leaning into getting activated with our neighbors, doing more with my hands, doing less with screens, centering advocacy around community care and nourishment, and creating sustainable spaces for our bodies and minds to continue engaging.

We’re starting next week in Salt Lake City: I’m co-hosting an event called The Antidote: an Advocacy Gathering with Amanda from Valenti Acupuncture on Wednesday, August 14th. Here’s what’s on the agenda:

• Hands-on advocacy activations like targeted postcard writing and practicing calls to lawmakers

• Homegrown garden-to-table snacks and drinks from my garden

• Building a strong local community in a small, safe space

• Your own copy of On Digital Advocacy: Toolkit

• Beautiful take-home floral arrangement in thrifted vessels I’ve been collecting

• Grounding practices for election season

There are still a few spots open, and we’d love to have you join if you’re in SLC! You can get tickets here. If you can’t make this one, I’ll be hosting a few other similar events leading up to the election for us to gather, break bread, share conversation and take action together.

I have so much more to say about the shifts I believe we deserve to live better, advocate more effectively, and restore our collective decency and empathy towards each other––but this newsletter is getting long.

Is anyone else feeling what I’m feeling? I’m tired of feeling bad. Things are still bad, and there’s no glossing over that, but I don’t think feeling awful all the time is helping anyone, so I’m going to try something different. Can we have both? Can we be active participants in the burning world around us, and still thrive amongst all the beauty around us too? I think yes.

Let’s try it together,

Katie Boué