jam

May Round Up! (Patreon)

Published:

2020-06-05 20:01:00

Edited:

2020-06-06 00:46:22

Imported:

2021-07

Content

It's June already! Can you even believe it :0 I hope you're still holding up ok out there. BC has been doing okay and it has allowed me to get out for some distanced hangs with my friends :) I feel very lucky that I can meet up with them and it has really helped me to feel more grounded. I'm still livestreaming with Sfé on Fridays (we won't be streaming this Friday 6/5 however), so make sure to give me a follow if you want to be notified of those streams happening.

This month on Wasted Talent...

Find it on Wasted Talent or the Webtoon app :)

Welcome to new Patrons 🎉Aldous,🎉Maddie and 🎉Miles! Thanks so much 🎉Sean for upgrading your pledge!

Here on Patreon...

$1 Patrons - Early Access

This month I shared two more pages of the food zine - Risotto and Shepherd's Pie.

$2 Patrons - Sneaky Peaks

I wrote up a fairly detailed review (+fanart!) of Meat and Bone by Kat Verhoeven . I also posted the art for some stickers I'd like to make soon.

$5 Patrons - Behind the Scenes

I posted the thumbnails for the next zine I want to work on (Career Zine). I also posted a little bonus comic and wrote about why and how I'm starting to livestream :)

$10 Patrons - The LAB

I posted some concept art for something I'm messing around with and also wrote a post talking about how COVID-19 has messed with my plans and what I'm doing to overcome that.

Around the Web...

This month I was on two virtual VanCAF panels that you can watch now on Youtube! :)

Reading Deeply (How to get the most of your comics with the Tradewaiters)
Webcomics! (With Alina Pete, Jeph Jacques, Sam Logan, and Kory Bing!)

Jam IRL

(cw: Race and Politics.)

I wanted to make a brief post here to address current events, because this is my platform and I have a responsibility for it. I'm making this statement for the following reasons:

I don't want there to be any confusion about where I stand.
I want to be accountable for my actions and choices (and I welcome your feedback).
I want everyone to feel welcome and safe here, and I'm hoping to share what I know so we can work together to build a better future.

To start: Black Lives Matter. I denounce and condemn the horrifying actions of police and national guard. I stand with the demonstrators. I denounce racism, and acknowledge that American and Canadian society is built on a foundation of white supremacy, which I have benefited from as a white person. I work actively to unlearn racist ideas and dismantle systems of oppression. I have much more work yet to do.

I know I don't often talk about politics. I think often and deeply about my responsibilities as a creator. I make deliberate choices to create a platform that is calm, uplifiting, positive and welcoming to all. I chose to focus my work on issues of tech equity, sustainability (the focus of my career), and mental health. These are areas I feel qualified to speak about, but these issues do intersect with race, and we all have responsibilities as human beings. I'm writing on this topic today because I feel that in this case, the risk of my silence being misinterpreted outweighs the risk of disrupting a peaceful space.

Here are the actions I am taking/have taken in response to this particular moment:

I have been watching and listening. In solidarity with the protesters and recognition of the current crisis, I will not be cross-promoting my own work as usual on social media. Posts on Patreon, Webtoon and WastedTalent.ca will continue as usual because that is my responsibility. Social media is a vital tool that people are using to coordinate right now, and I am making space on the stage.
I am being very selective about what I post using my Wasted Talent feeds on this topic. I don't want to take up space as a white person living abroad, or contribute to the din that is already very traumatic for people to absorb. I believe people follow me as a calm and positive voice, so I don't want to betray that, but it would also be disrespectful to post as if this wasn't happening. I am trying to balance respectful self-muting and avoiding performative outrage with the need to be standing up in the face of something horrible that must be denounced. My "take" is not wanted or needed right now. I want to amplify voices that need to be heard, but there is also a danger of spreading misinformation that I want to be mindful of. I encourage you to seek out and follow voices who are "on the ground" and talking about this. John Boyega, Janelle Monae and Kiku Hughes are active on this right now. Desmond Cole is a great Canadian voice to follow on the topic.
There are many great resources and ways to contribute listed at https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/ . I have personally made donations to the ACLU, Black Girls Code, and Hogans Alley Society. I have flagged a few more places and will be making more donations. I will be watching closely for other tangible ways I can help, and I have made a plan for myself.
These are other great resources I've made note of: A self-guided curriculum (thanks to Bryanna Wallace and Autumn Gupta), and specific resources for Canada. (thanks to Sharon Nyangweso)
I got my absentee voter reg in for the United States. If you're an expat like me you can register at fvap.gov . Wherever you are, vote!!!
I actively seek out, follow, and support black creatives. (A few that I recommend are biancaxunise , Shortbox , Gina Kirlew and StudioMucci .) In reflecting on this, I have realized that I don't boost others as much as I could, and I will be adapting my methods in response.

I'm trying hard right now to balance accountability and education/information sharing with performative activism. I don't seek a pat on the back. I regret that my response may appear "slow", but it's because I consider this a lifetime commitment. If any of this concerns you, or if you want to know more about how I'm personally approaching this issue in my life and creative work, leave me a comment or send a DM. If you want additional resources or ways to help, I am happy to connect you.

Please stay safe out there. Let's build a better future together. I believe we can.

[Update - completed the header image. A copy of the inks are also attached because it looks like it would be a fun colouring page <3)