Good morning & updates! (Patreon)

It's Monday and sunny but cold here in San Francisco, and there's a tinge of revolution in the air. 

At the cafe, we served up "support coffees" (prepaid coffee & tea to go for folks that can't afford a cup right now) for folks who needed them. We also sent three big to go boxes, a case of bottled water, and a big box of snacks and supplies to SFO airport, where many folks in the San Francisco kink community were on site to ensure the rights of travelers affected by Friday's executive order.  

Back at the shop, it was a very full weekend of classes! Mir taught our entire core Kink 101 series, including our introduction to the local BDSM scene ("Welcome to Wicked Grounds"), and our workshops on "BDSM Negotiation Basics" and "Dating While Kinky". The latter two classes were literally standing room only! 

For a few moments, the weekend felt like a lesson in contrasts. It quickly became clear, however, how congruent the classes and the activism were. 

Our whole Kink 101 series is about learning what you want, figuring out how to ask for it, and doing that in a way that honors the individuals and communities around us. The whole series is about building affirmative consent, strengthening communities, being stronger together, and having fun while doing it.  As Mir reflected last night, it became clear why so many folks in the local kink community were able to quickly mobilize and get out where needed to the streets and airports and local Islamic centers to offer support this weekend. Once you know how to put on Folsom Street Fair or Leather Alley, all that stuff looks easy. ;) 

All this to say -- thank you. This project on Patreon is about building a platform where we can bring those skills, that perspective, that "secret sauce of Wicked Grounds" to people both more effectively in the Bay Area, and also to folks beyond. Our immediate next step is to take some of the questions we are getting as follow ups to the weekend classes to start up our new advice column. Mir's also seeking out software for interactive live classes, so that we can bring classes like "So You Want to Start a Munch" to kinksters throughout the nation in a live, online format. 

If you've already subscribed, thank you! If you have yet to subscribe, it's amazingly easy and we appreciate any level of support for these new classes, videos and articles. Subscribers will always get exclusive early access for new content, and the pleasure of knowing you've made it happen. 

Whatever the week brings you, hang in there. Drink good coffee, and connect with community. Practice good self-care. And remember: people love you. 

xoxo

Mir and the good folks of Wicked Grounds