Hugs and love to Oz & NZ…I mean…ughhhhh. (Patreon)

Hi loves.

Thank you for all your beautiful comments on the last few posts. It’s been….a hard week for all.

Here’s some flowers.

Just catching up after a long weekend of friends and family. I’m trying to catch up all over the place, but first I wanted to cross-post some things I just posted on socials, and add more.

I was at Graveside (our beautiful little patron-kickstarted venue) in Woodstock tonight (those flowers and mantle were shot by me tonight, as I was feeling glum and in need of cheer)….everybody was making music and watching music being made. We sang silly musical theater songs and Taylor Swift and it was it was so beautiful and joyful and peaceful. Kiddos playing.

I wore a nice dress and trotted out a new song.

I love my new songs. So much.

I came home and I logged into my social media feeds - and even here on my patreon, which is usually 99.9% compassion - and there’s a lotta yelling. Oh boy.

Yelling for saying the wrong things. For posting the wrong things at the wrong times. For not saying more. For saying too much. So much anger. This anger makes sense.

One patron asked for all their historic money back due to my statement (or lack of statement?) about the Israel/Palestine conflict.

All of this internet and news? Dude.

it is impossible to navigate perfectly. There is no “correct” way to internet when the world is on fire. There never has been.

This is a reminder to my friends and followers that there is no way to do this right. I have been juggling the internet of life and art and world disaster since 1999. I have a relatively thick skin. If you need to unfollow me, or set your patronage aside: that’s okay. Always.

But everybody, please remember. It is possible to do this with compassion. Artists and ordinary people on the internet may not be doing the internet the way you think they should. That’s okay. Unfollow. Go where you need to go, create your world.

Try not to punish your artists, your family and your friends when the world is already suffering so much.

Here’s a breather photo. It’s Andrea playing tonight. The softest music ever.

Look. Art.

MEANWHILE…

I just wanted to send a hug to all of my friends/whânau/followers/community in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

Sad political news from both countries these past few days...and I've been hearing the anger and frustration from my folks over there. It feels like everything is going to hell in a handbasket.

Sending you all a lot of love.

For those of you Americans (etc) not following the news down under, Australia just voted “no” on a huge referendum to add Indigenous voices to the government table:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/10/14/australia-voice-parliament-indigenous-referendum/

……

And to make a bad week worse, NZ just voted in the most conservative coalition in ages.

The age of Jacinda is well over.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/14/world/asia/new-zealand-election-national-wins.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

(BUT UPSIDE: At least the greens got some more seats in NZ….)

I’m still homesick for Aotearoa.

And now I’m sadder than ever.

Meanwhile, the news from Israel/Palestine is just depressing and tragic for all people in every direction and nobody seems to know how to talk about it. It’s a mess.

Hugs galore, y’all.

Kia Kaha.

Stay strong.

If all goes well….I’m coming down to OZ/NZ in January for a visit (and shows).

Cross fingers. Don’t vote in anymore conservatives until i get there ya hear.

Feel free to let off steam in the comments or head over to the main chat in the app. I’ll be there for the next 20-30 minutes, and reading and responding here.

♥️

I hope this week…we all take care of ourselves and each other.

x

A