What if…an actual announcement this time?
💖Live ✨Laugh ✨Launch 💖
Hello!
So the other day I wrote a ton of words about writing a ton of words about The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. Remember? How I’m hanging up my recapping gloves (not a thing, but should be a thing because my circulation sucks) this year because of other engagements? And proceeded to be cryptic as hell about said engagements? Well, coy time is over. Let the shameless self-promotion commence.
The succinct version:
Next month, I’m facilitating/teaching/leading a workshop/experiment/course at Index Space called The Launch.
You can click here to get all the details, or here if you don’t care and just want to watch cats getting spa treatments. If you chose the latter, thanks for being here, and see ya next time!
Because I’ve now soft-pitched this unhinged little project to quite a few people, I’ve got FAQ at the ready:
Wait, what is Index Space?
Great question! I fail to answer this every time because sometimes it’s hard to succinctly explain things you love. But their IG bio says they are “a mixed-use community center offering digital programs while building a physical HQ in NYC.” Their website says they “provide space for the exchange of knowledge and tools, and nurture trust within the creative community through generosity and abundance of ideas and care.” Either way, Index programming is damn good, and I’m honored to be a part of it.
So your class is online?
That is correct! Although it’s not going to be a “class” in the “Olivia lectures, everyone listens” way you may be thinking. The whole point is to make a bunch of weird stuff over a month-ish together. Participation will be key — it’ll be capped at 25 or so participants, and ample opportunities will be offered for more one-on-one sharing.
What are people “launching?”
In short:
The Launch is an active experimental incubator in which all participants will launch a low-stakes, high-joy project for an audience.
In long:
The Launch will be uniquely focused on making. Every session, every participant will make something — with goals of lowering our own barriers to entry, freeing ourselves from overthinking, and using group accountability to encourage each other to create for the sake of creating. Each participant will also launch a low-stakes, high-joy personal project to an audience while exploring questions like: What is a project? Who do we make things for? What inspires us as humans vs. as workers? What would we make if we could get out of our own way? How do we find flow personally and as a collective? Etc.
I still don’t understand what a “low-stakes, high-joy project” is?
You are reading one as we speak! This silly little newsletter is in fact a low-stakes, high-joy project. They can be in any medium and executed on any scale. Some other examples, real and imagined:
An installation of miniature paintings for the squirrels outside your apartment.
A coloring book of fanciful farm machinery for your nephew.
A spooky custom typeface made out of fingernail clippings.
A shared map of all the cats in your neighborhood including photos, names, and specific tips on how to visit them.
A handmade pair of sequin pants to be worn to a very special event.
The first in a series of weekly DJ sets focused on embracing imperfection.
The common theme here is “very little commercial value, very big why-the-fuck-not value.”
What if I’m not an artist/writer/musician/performer/creative person? Can I still take this?
If you’ve made it this far and are even considering this question, I’d like you to try thinking about yourself as “someone who makes stuff or is interested in making stuff.” Alternatively, think about the worst movie, show, book, or piece of music you’ve consumed recently. A bunch of people made that awful thing and proudly consider themselves artists of many flavors. The bar is truly on the ground, and I’m happy to help you crawl over it! If you’re still feeling a bit crunchy, you could always ask a friend to join you in signing up for extra support and accountability.
Will this help me launch my business?
We will be largely looking at creative work through an anticapitalist lens so…unlikely! Unless your business is making stuff for free/trades/very cheap. OR if your launch project idea is actually called “My Business” and is a microsite that looks like Livejournal x Neopets x the Mean Girls burn book where you write angsty poems about the low-stakes gossip in your life. This I can help you with!
Did you draw the art?
Nope! Vivian Mak did! Her work is great, and you should investigate it.
How do I convince my employer to let me use my educational stipend for this?
First, I firmly believe that any way you expand and grow your creative practice ends up benefiting your employer, especially if you have a “creative” job. If you don’t feel like getting on that high horse, here are some keywords you can use in whatever documentation you may need: storytelling, follow-through and dependability, cross-discipline creative work, addressing burnout and blocks, honing feedback skills (both giving and receiving), learning when and how to pivot, self-editing, subverting mediums for new uses, embracing imperfection to make stronger work, etc! Please feel free to respond directly to this email if you need more help!
Ugh I wish I had an employer-sponsored educational stipend…
There are also scholarships! Apply here by November 1st. The form is very brief!
If you have other questions, feel free to reach out.
This newsletter brought to you by:
Cold brew from Mad Lab
My refusal to use Figjam templates, and the procrastination that naturally follows
A PDF of Frog and Toad, which I learned last week se llama Sapo y Sepo en espanol (hablé sobre ellos para mi examen oral — me encantan estos iconos de amistad queer < 3)