Attention-Worthy: Volume VIII
Lowering giftspectations, oracle cards for book lovers, and literary activism 101
Hi! Welcome to the May edition of Attention-Worthy. The next edition will go out on June 12, 2025. If you have something you’d like to promote, hit reply and send me the link. (Anything goes! An article you wrote, a painting you did, a poem you wrote. I want to share it with everyone I know.)
ONE
I’m always talking about reframing rejection, so I knew I had to share this sticker chart when I heard about it from Ana Xavier of The Podcast Space.
It’s so cute too!
TWO
I have a little person who gets an obscene amount of gifts from her dad’s side of the family, so I’m always looking for alternate (read: non-capitalistic) ways to demonstrate affection and lower her giftspectations. This post – I Don’t Give Gifts to Kids (or Anyone) – from
100% met those needs.THREE
I had the absolute pleasure of chatting with three incredible women this last month, and each conversation has a slightly different flavor.
The first is my conversation with
on Off the Grid: Amplifying Attention for Under-Recognized Voices (Including Yourself!). The conversation was philosophical and political and funny. All of my favorite things.
Then I spoke with Atima Omara on Embracing Your Voice: What Happens When Women of Color Own Their Stories. It’s all about navigating identity, legacy, and visibility and goes deep into the steps that led me to my business’s core mission.
And finally, on Accountable, Amanda McKinney and I talked about how our relationships to ambition have changed throughout various seasons of our lives. There is lots of discussion about rule breaking in this one. It’s called Seasons, Systems, and Space: Redefining Ambition Without Burning Out.
Separate but related, I also published an in-depth essay about slowing down, navigating chronic conditions, and re-establishing what “enough” looks like for me. It’s called Reflections on building capacity in an attention-starved culture.
FOUR
I’m a huge nerd, and I love to learn all the things from all the people as thoroughly as I can. Research for a new client of mine – The Center for Community Progress – brought me to an organization called Let’s Learn, “a global network and activity being built by and for people from all walks of life all over the world to share their knowledges, cultures, and histories with each other in creative ways. And it’s all free.”
Under their previous offerings, you can find classes for all sorts of topics.
Some I’m spying include:
Let’s Learners: Come Flex Your Curiosity Muscles!
Discovering and Sharing Our Untold Histories
Hibakusha – A Conversation with a Survivor of Hiroshima
FIVE
Continuing on with the nerditry (and adding a dash of woo), I was delighted to see that Alexandra Franzen and Lindsey Smith are releasing this oracle deck for bibliophiles.
SIX
A handful of podcast shout-outs – both from my work with clients and my own personal curiosities:
Dates & Mates with Damona Hoffman: Listen to Dysregulated Dating & Beginning Again to hear about how a dysregulated nervous system might be getting in your way romantically.
Better Sex with Jessa Zimmerman: People pleasing does not help sex - all about emotional outsourcing and how it impacts our relationships with others and our own bodies
Deeply Rested with Maegan Megginson: I loved listening to her conversation with Zafira Rajan on unblocking your voice and recovering from creative burnout.
Today, Explained: American_history_v9_final_FINAL_THIS ONE - all about this administration’s attempts to rewrite history
10% Happier with Dan Harris: Rethinking Success with Mia Birdsong - beautiful ideas about cultivating community and asking for help
SEVEN
Annabel Abbs wrote this stunning piece on the benefits of embracing insomnia and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I read it. It was perfect timing too because I found it right before I did the most recent round of the Ungodly Hour Writing Club (offered intermittently by Writing Co-Lab). It was so early but, to Annabel’s point, the writing I did as a result of that timeframe was potent.
EIGHT
In a world where there are so many causes to serve, I’ve been trying to identify where my limited margin might make the most impact. While my business focuses on media activism, I’ve been experimenting with adjacent causes on both a community, state-wide, and national level. Where I’ve landed most recently is literary activism, so anything to do with libraries, book bans, and archives.
If you’re curious about getting involved with literary activism, I wanted to share these resources with you:
A good primer: Library Funding Targeted in New Trump Executive Order: What It Means & What To Do Now
Updates on the issue: Judge Issues Injunction in Favor of State Attorneys General IMLS Lawsuit
- : Collective Memory Is a Political Project
And more generally, this piece from
suggests practical ideas for getting involved in any cause: 7 ideas to jumpstart community practiceNINE
This piece by Tiloma Jayashinghe from 2021 feels so relevant right now: Don’t Rebuild, Upbuild! – Reimagining Nonprofit Infrastructure.
While I don’t run a nonprofit, I’m interested in investing in generational change across all industries. Her insights and terminology helped me see the longer arc of the work I’m doing now as well as how I might shift it to be even more impactful.
TEN
Aleya Harris (one of my go-to sources for becoming a professional speaker) is looking for HR and DEI leaders who are interested in using storytelling for leadership and culture development.
If that sounds like you (or someone you know), check out The Evolution Collective, which helps “leaders and organizations uncover their essence, inspire connection, and achieve measurable results through the power of story.”
ELEVEN
My friend Amanda — the same one from #3! — is doing a research project on how personality types influence accountability—and she’s looking for input! This anonymous survey takes less than 10 minutes and will help her build tools to support people in reaching their goals. You can take the survey here.
LOVE the Annabel Abbs piece, thanks for sharing!