#336 Giving Tuesday: Plant One Tree
01 December 2020 // San Diego, California
It’s #GivingTuesday and the thing I’m most excited about is planting trees. Did you know that planting a tree only costs a buck???
$1 = 🌲
It’s been a rough year for… well, pretty much everybody. I’ve seen a lot of my favorite nonprofits make the painful call to let go of some staff. And some of the people who have it hardest were those who nonprofits serve. Those struggling with safety, food security, ecological health, etc.
There’s this quote that gets attributed (probably incorrectly) to Martin Luther. “Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.”
There’s a similar energy I’ve seen from @plantwpurpose communities this year. The image of families planting a tree that improves the land for generations especially stands out in the middle of a pandemic, tropical storms, political unrest, and everything else that’s come up. It’s the simplest act of hope and belief that their kids could still one day live in a better world.
Go check out the link in my bio to plant trees at a buck a piece. I can’t think of a better return. It’s one of the most accessible, low-cost, but high-impact ways to help people for years to come.
#337 Und1sputed
02 December 2020 // San Diego, California
Every year, one of my favorite projects is going to one of Plant With Purpose’s program countries to capture the story of one of our partners via video. I really enjoy visiting the country, meeting the family, interviewing, and dreaming up how to turn all that into a video.
It’s 2020, so that didn’t quite happen, BUT we still got a video made! We leaned more heavily on our Dominican partners to introduce us to Gladys and Esteban. We worked with a DR-based team, @primeagenciafotografica to visit their community and capture footage. Then I got to work with @hepburncreative who turned it into this piece!
I’m glad we still came out with this product in spite of it all. That said, I miss visiting our partners. Here’s hoping to get a video the more traditional way in 2021!
#338 Tagged
03 December 2020 // San Diego, California
Did you know I have a little print shop running? Here’s the story behind it:
Over the summer, a few of my illustrations kind of took off, and I started getting asked a lot if there was somewhere people could buy prints of my work. It took some time to figure out how to do this without stacks of posters all over my house (because, one year old) or needing to make trips to the post office every day (because, that’s a lot).
When I ran the numbers, it looked like selling each poster would barely break even. Then I realized, most people don’t buy posters of things they’re lukewarm about. If something goes on my wall, it’s because of passion! I decided to make the posters a little more premium, earning closer to $5-10 profit per item a good chunk of which could then be donated to a cause fitting of that poster!
#339 Spreckles Organ
04 December 2020 // San Diego, California
I learned about Rafer Johnson’s passing yesterday.
I was lucky enough to met Rafer Johnson six years ago while teaching special needs students. He was a great athlete and contributed to Civil Rights. Also had an amazing third act as a disability rights advocate.
#340 Explore Mode Rhys
05 December 2020 // San Diego, California
I wasn’t sure about a Christmas tree this year since we have literally no plans, and cause we have a thirteen year old who’s still figuring out the whole “nice hands” thing. But I do love our yearly trip to a family owned tree farm, the smell of the fresh pines, and supporting some local foresters.
We grabbed a very small stone pine as well as a rosemary sapling. And we got to update last year’s Christmas photo that we grabbed when Rhys was a brand new squish.
#341 Family Christmas Tree Farm
06 December 2020 // El Cajon, California
I’ve definitely benefited a lot from the Enneagram and learning how not to get too ridiculous as a 7. I don’t exactly write about it a ton, because there are so many who do it better, but it’s such a helpful lens for me that I find it hard not to.
Apparently I wrote enough, however, to be invited to present at the Enneagram Global Summit.
I didn’t realize how big the event would be until I saw Ross Hudson promote it- one of the guys who really helped popularize the Enneagram about 25 years ago. I decided to check out the lineup and was blown away by the names mine appeared beside. Sarahjane Case. Suzanne Stabile. Helen Palmer. Sleeping At Last.
I gave my presentation on the Enneagram and the environment, focusing on how to create social change.
#342 Sculpted Foods
07 December 2020 // San Diego, California
Dreaming feels easier these days. Almost two easy. On one hand, it might be the effect of living such a restricted life for so long.
On the other, it feels like the right thing to do right now. And I can’t say it’s felt that way at different points during this strange pandemic journey.
I keep writing out lists of things i want to make, stories I want to tell, and places I want to go. (Okay, I always do that, but these lists are more like, places I want to go as soon as it’s remotely possible.)
No New Years resolutions from me until I finish my Old Years resolution of starting and completing Ted Lasso.
#343 Clay Bibingka
08 December 2020 // San Diego, California
Some of you might not be keeping up with the latest on Blue’s Clues so let me fill you in on what’s going on in Blue’s House:
🏡 Joshua de la Cruz and his Lola have taken over and it is now a house of bibingka.
I saw this thought tweeted by EJ Ramos David right around the same time Disney released their Christmas advert showing a Filipino family. To be honest, representation is something I learned not to even expect. But when you actually see it, it’s everything.
So... enjoy your Blues Clues fan art everybody. 🇵🇭 Print sales go to relief for Typhoon Goni.
#344 Making Yeungyen
09 December 2020 // San Diego, California
Current obsession: Making this Hong Kong favorite drink that combines sweet black milk tea with some coffee.
Really looking forward to being able to go back and explore Asia.
#345 All About Process
10 December 2020 // San Diego, California
There’s a light at the end of the tunnel of this whole pandemic mess.
Deanna might be eligible to get the vaccine in a matter of weeks, being in a pretty high priority group. We’ve talked about what life might look like after this very weird, very challenging stretch for us.
I’ve found it easier to start dreaming. Travel. Possibilities. And while my travel list always runs long, it feels a bit more specific lately. I’m really excited to get back to my passion for finding places, people, and things that capture my wonder and telling stories about them. And I suspect it’ll be even sweeter with this massive experience to always remind me not to take the process for granted.
That said… we’re not done yet.
Numbers-wise, cases are worse than they’ve ever been. In the US, in particular. I’ve read too many posts from friends working at hospitals expressing exhaustion and serious concern over the fact that people’s behavior on their online posts doesn’t seem to match the atmosphere within hospitals.
I’ve never been one to promote fear, but I do go all in on compassion. A stretch of intensified lockdowns and newer restrictions is nobody’s preference for how to end a year that’s been a rough one all around, but I do find a renewed sense of determination when I remember who my actions impact.
Wear the mask. Shop small for gifts. Avoid going out as much as you can. Call up people you want to reconnect with. Dream big. Replace the purchases you’d make at big box stores or off Amazon with indie businesses, the meals from chain restaurants with mom-and-pops. If you can, donate to a local food bank or org fighting eviction.
Just don’t bail on compassion.
#346 Baby Bath
11 December 2020 // San Diego, California
Rando Instagram spammers have totally desensitized me to potentially sincere compliments about my pictures’ compositions.
#347 rhys’ favorite bridge
12 December 2020 // San Diego, California
How many times have you looked around at people’s thoughts, behaviors, or words lately and thought, “wow, things need to change.”
“We have a lot of work to do.”
I studied both communication and international studies. Two of my big interests continue to be the way people send messages to each other and the way the world changes. I’m especially interested in the crossroads of those two things: how do people communicate in a way that influences how the world works?
I think lately, it’s been easy to look at how various messages get used to incite division and create mistrust. But, I’ve seen enough moments of change around the world to know it can be used for good.
Here’s the idea I’ve been working with lately: you don’t need to convert every single person from a wrong idea to the right idea. You literally can’t. Trying to do this and zooming in on every individual debate opportunity is a recipe for burnout and discouragement. Instead, you can work on creating an ecosystem where better ideas thrive. To play with that metaphor, it’s better to heal the soil than to prevent every single plant from dying.
Successful movements like suffrage, abolition, and LGBT rights didn’t rely on a strategy of getting every single person to listen, understand, and accept their message. They instead shifted the ecosystem, making it a little easier for people to come on board year-after-year.
🌐 It’s why I think creativity is a key ingredient to changemaking.
🌐 It’s why I spend a lot less energy on unproductive debates and focus more on amplifying worthy messages.
🌐 It’s why I increasingly see clarity as kindness.
🌐 It’s why I think beauty- something that gives us no choice but to collectively stop and marvel- can create change.
🌐 It’s why I think creating from a place of empathy and knowing your audience matters.
#348 Plantshopping
13 December 2020 // Encinitas, California
“I recently was in a talk with a friend who said, "You can't talk about race without talking about place, those things go hand in hand."
It's a multi-layered kind of dynamic, because the way systemic racism works is there's a narrative that black people shouldn't be tied to the land, right? There's also some negative narratives and tropes to black people being tied to the land, but actually, land is a huge source for communal nourishment and physical nourishment as well.”
–Aaron Rogers
🌿✊🏾🌿
For a few weeks, I’ve been working on a podcast episode on environmental antiracism. It got delayed a couple times by technical things, but I think that just maybe… it was supposed to come out this week where our social failures have been quite visible.
Environmental justice and racial justice are two things I have a strong sense of urgency towards. And I think they should be seen as deeply connected. They ARE deeply connected. Getting to talk about that connection… especially through a spiritual lens was my kinda trifecta.
The Black American church has done so much to fully integrate my personal faith practices with actions geared towards collective healing and loving my neighbors, and I was really glad to have two scholars and pastors from that tradition join me: Aaron Rogers from Faith For Justice and Ben Sanders from Eden Theological Seminary. I also got to include a conversation with Carol Bremer Bennet looking at environmental antiracism from a Navajo perspective.
#349 map effects
14 December 2020 // San Diego, California
I spent the afternoon studying how to make illustrated maps using Adobe After Effects.
It’s pretty amazing to me that this is a skill that can be used to make some pretty intensive animations, and lots of dynamic video displays too. At the same time, it’s so readily accessible.
All it took was a two hour course on Skillshare and I have enough of an orientation to start trying to figure out the specific things I want to do.
#350 Fern Street Park
15 December 2020 // San Diego, California
I’ve been eager to make some plans for 2021, and while the future is still fuzzy for things like travel, here are some odd topics/skills I want to learn next year:
Bento box Japanese cooking
Herb Moss
Animated maps
Tumbler glass Mezcal
#351 Cookie Jar Dog
16 December 2020 // San Diego, California
This is usually my favorite part of the year. I love the end of one year and the beginning of another. I love year-end recaps of all kinds, from DJ Earworm’s mashups to Google’s Year in Search. I love being able to dream pretty big about the following year and just speculate about where it might take me. I love making lists. I’m a very future-oriented person, often to a fault.
This year has been a weird one, and that applies to these things, too. For most of the year, I’ve been very reserved about making plans. There were points where planning ahead felt like denial or arrogance. But also, planning ahead felt scary. What if they get all ruined again?
But lately, that’s started to shift. I’ve again felt more and more like looking ahead. To 2021, sure, but also to the vast stretch of future beyond that.
Sometimes I think about my 22-year-old self, just finishing school with a large amount of desire to see various parts of the world, to be a part of solving various problems, and to tell stories that share that wonder with other people. And when I think of the years in between then and now, so many of those things happened! Not always in the way I expected, but the big picture worked out. And it all started with a little boldness to dream and anticipate.
I started making a list… an actual spreadsheet called dream projects. All the things I want to explore, stories I want to tell, and the places it would require me to go. I want to make mini-docs about baobab trees, mezcal, and shopping mall culture in Southeast Asian countries. I want to find the perfect bowl of pho and to do an extended bike trip in Germany. And writing this all down honestly felt right and like the weirdest spiritual discipline that I can’t explain. But it felt like a bit like being a dream-filled 22 year old again.
If that pattern even remotely repeats itself, there’s a lot to look forward to. And even if not, the anticipation itself is a process to enjoy.
#352 Neighboring Condo
17 December 2020 // San Diego, California
I was not at all expecting to wake up to the news of Major League Baseball reclassifying the Negro Leagues as part of the league, but it’s good news, long overdue, and it makes total sense.
Congrats to Josh Gibson, who I think is now baseball’s all-time GOAT. Curious to see how many HRs they decide he ended his career with. Likely 800+
#353 Icelandic Poppy
18 December 2020 // San Diego, California
It wasn’t all bad. Part 1.
I mean, 2020 was pretty bad, but good things happened too and I feel like we could all benefit from hearing each others’ wins:
1️⃣
Deanna got her license in clinical social work. I can’t emphasize enough how long that process was, how persistent she was, and how much better that makes our lives. Not to mention, all the people she’ll be in a position to help.
2️⃣
I got to spend a whole lot of time with Rhys. A lot, a lot. And while a lot of those times weren’t easy, they were also sweet. I got to see grow up so much without missing much at all.
3️⃣
This year, I got to spend a lot of time with my aunts- the two living members of my dad’s generation of his family. I always hoped they’d get to see my kids someday. Lo and behold, they not only met Rhys but we were in a quarantine pod together for months, ranging in age from 4 months to 87 years.
My Auntie Ella was our inspiration for Rhys’ middle name, and someone who reminds me that generosity and a sense of doing what’s right for those with less are a part of our family’s roots. Every moment I get to spend with her and my Aunt Fely is extra special.
Alright, what we’re your wins?
#354 Guadalupe Plaza
19 December 2020 // San Diego, California
I was looking over the YouTube comments of one of my favorite filmmakers who just produced a film about Romania.
Every other comment was from a Romanian excited and grateful for the beautiful way she captured the country’s mountains.
It reminded me of how I want people to feel after the stories I tell. Grateful. And for people who are from the population I want to tell stories about, also a sense of pride.
#355 Corner Arrangements
20 December 2020 // San Diego, California
Here are a few more good things that happened to me in 2020:
I really learned how to rest, and how to be excited about creative projects without committing every single hour to productivity. I’ve found lots of value in getting lost in a good show, going down a YouTube rabbit hole, playing video games, and things creative gurus say not to.
I had the goal to do one big speaking gig a month, and thought that was done when all events got cancelled. Instead I got more opportunities than ever in the form of virtual events, plus podcast interviews and writing contribution opportunities.
I haven’t been able to travel and capture stories in nearly two years, and that’s my favorite thing to do. In spite of that- I have a lot more inspiration, vision, and even technical skill than I did at that time and will be truly ready for it.
#356 Lola’s Elf
21 December 2020 // San Diego, California
You don’t have to have it all figured out.
In a more ordinary version of late December, I spend a lot of time looking forward to the next year. Thinking about all the trips and adventures to look forward to, setting parameters around some ambitious project, and making a bunch of lists. But right now, we’re looking at a whole lot of unknowns.
I don’t totally know what my work and creative projects will look like. Childcare is going to be a huge question mark, and so are some financial things. I don’t know what trips are coming and or when.
One of the many, many things this year has taught me has been the sheer value of taking things on one day at a time, and simply doing things the way you need to for that particular day. Our over-industrialized world tends to forget the value of mystery, but, what good is a journey when every single move is scripted and there are no surprises?
The best way to take on an adventure is with just enough strategy to make things happen and just enough spontaneity to improvise when the surprises come.
#357 Balboa Playtime
22 December 2020 // San Diego, California
Ethical storytelling restrictions are meant to be restrictive. They’re meant to bring out better stories. I still believe that storytelling is powerful, and telling stories that call people’s attention towards things that matter. I want to live in a world where people fight like hell against things that are wrong and also one where people take extreme delight in everything beautiful and mind blowing. Every story well told brings that world into existence.
#358 The Second Haircut
23 December 2020 // San Diego, California
I hate it when you discover some effort to do good hasn’t actually had a very positive impact… like with recycling or greenwashed goods. But the important thing to remember is that these efforts got so complicated in the first place because they weren’t designed to solve a problem as much as they were designed to solve the way we felt about a problem.
It’s important that our efforts to do good go beyond wishful thinking.
#359 Montclair Park
24 December 2020 // San Diego, California
When I was recapping the best things that happened to me in 2020, I left out the biggest one because… this story takes a little more space to tell.
In early 2016, Deanna got sick. Like, really sick. Her lung function dropped to 22% and we had to spend a week in the hospital. It was only our eighth month of being married, and it was scary. By later that year, she had recovered fairly well. She even ran a half-marathon with me a few months after being discharged.
Then in early 2018, she got a pretty bad lung infection that needed IV antibiotics. She recovered, then had another in October. In 2019, she had two infections that needed IV antibiotics while pregnant with Rhys.
This pattern was really concerning, and I tried to not worry about what would happen if it continued over the course of the next few years, but your mind goes there, especially when starting a family.
Then, on the very same week that Rhys was born, this new drug came out. It was the first of its kind, using genetic therapies to treat the underlying causes behind all the infections. The trial results and early testimonies from people who used it almost seemed too good to be true, so I tried not to get my hopes up. And we held off on taking it for a bit, not knowing if it was breastfeeding safe.
Then a pandemic broke out in the spring and being vulnerable to lung issues, we wanted every defense we could get. Deanna started taking it in April, and the effects have been a real game changer. I no longer hear the regular, everyday coughing I’d gotten used to over the past few years.
I can breathe more easily about my family’s future, and Deanna can, very literally, breathe more easily.
The two biggest prayers of my life were answered in October 2019.
I know everyone is doing their own version of grieving and healing after this year, and so many terrible things happened. But it was also a year where I got to see a health breakthrough, and my kid grow up. Here’s hoping our story has something in it that helps you with your own.
#360 The Simplest Christmas
25 December 2020 // San Diego, California
Merry Christmas from this wild, tree loving, adventure hungry crew.
🌲🌲🌲
It’s just the three of us this year, plus Beignet of course. As much as I love full houses packed with loved ones, and adventures as far off as I can think of, it feels really, really right to embrace the fact that today is a simple, intimate one for this team. I hope today can be whatever your soul needs it to be.
Now to spend the rest of the day obsessing over my new Japanese cookbook and skillet, saving Rhys from a few head bumps, grooving to the Jingle Jangle soundtrack, and finally getting to watch Soul.
#361 Rhys’ Tower
26 December 2020 // San Diego, California
Lots of people find the last week of the year awkward as you never know what day of the week it is. I think that’s one of the things I love about it.
Anything that makes me feel more free from our culture’s excessive time awareness is a treat.
#362 La Jolla
27 December 2020 // La Jolla, California
2020 wasn’t as expected, but I went the “good” kind of viral for antiracism resources I made, learned to hold things loosely, further detached my value from productivity, relearned rest, set better boundaries, worried less about people’s opinions, and started dreaming big again.
#363 The Boldest Rainbow
28 December 2020 // San Diego, California
I don’t cry very often, but a disproportionate amount of times I tear up are at animated movies. Some of them just play to the feels. Here’s my reaction to Soul.
First of all- I loved it. And I’m not surprised by that at all. Pete Docter and the Pixar crew taking on existential questions about life’s purpose featuring a bunch of jazz? Yes please!
My main takeaway from watching this was that a lot of us spend our days waiting for our “big break,” whatever that means for us- and it’s tempting to think that this is when our lives will really get good. Really, life is made up of ordinary but still sacred moments. Having a passion is a good thing, but it’s not really our purpose.
My favorite was the barbershop scene, featuring someone whose dreams didn’t work out but who still found a way to love his life. It reminded me of a conversation I had with a friend who took a big risk to launch a music career. “I’ve had to ask myself if I’m willing to accept what happens if this dream doesn’t come true,” she told me.
Sometimes I get tempted to keep holding back until I get a “big break” which is kinda silly, given that I’ve already had a few of my wildest hopes come true. But I’ve been on this journey for a few years of trying to focus less on results and to love the process more. This year was a great teacher.
Did you see Soul yet? What did you gain from it?
#364 The Soggiest Boy
29 December 2020 // San Diego, California
I light up when I hear somebody described as “your favorite artist’s favorite artist-” or something like that.
Roy Halladay was probably your favorite pitcher’s favorite pitcher.
MF Doom was your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper.
If you have a creative influence, you’ll want to check out who they were influenced by and dig into those creative roots. It’s like unearthing whole new layers to the art that inspires your own.
#365 DJI Osmo Pocket
30 December 2020 // San Diego, California
This year was such a weird one, and while I miss all the adventures that usually mark a year, I feel so strongly and deeply that I didn’t waste this year. In fact, relative to a lot of other recent end-of-year pulse reads, I’m perhaps a little more happy with myself for the way I showed up.
Putting all comforts and conveniences aside to take care of Rhys without thinning about it.
Finding and discovering my voice during pivotal social moments.
Getting creative, thinking ahead, and keeping my family safe during a pandemic.
Maybe there was less fun than expected, but I know I fully leaned into being the kind of person I want to grow into. Lessgo.
#366 Babies on a Hike
31 December 2020 // San Diego, California
One of the best ways to redeem a year like this one is to actually take the time to think through the lessons it had for us, to articulate the things we see differently from last January, and to make simple but doable plans for incorporating those lessons into our lives. Here are a few things that really sunk home:
💠Clarity is an act of kindness in a complex world. Sometimes we hold back saying important things for the sake of avoiding controversy. We veil our thoughts and true selves behind ambiguity. That usually serves no one but ourselves.
💠Whenever you speak up about things that matter, there will always be some who just won’t get it. Don’t worry too much about that. Definitely don’t let it stop ya. Just keep working on cultivating an ecosystem built on your values.
💠Fear, anger, and sadness are valuable gifts that keep us safe, orient us towards justice, and remind us of what has value. Toxic positivity cuts us off from these gifts.
💠Our Creator has given us everything we need… not just for survival, but to THRIVE. Don’t let the “running the world like a business” mindset trick you into seeing scarcity, instead of abundance and connection.
💠You come to life when your pursuit of joy and your pursuit of justice get intertwined.
💠Don’t fear death, but don’t be its ally. All of us are vulnerable to how uncertain life is. That should be all the more reason to spend our lives serving the most vulnerable.
💠 Productivity shouldn’t be confused with purpose. Our culture has DEEPLY wired us to find value in our output. Relearn those instincts. Enjoy the process.
Happy New Years to ya. Happy to share this wild ride.