17 Comments

I love this so much and it's something I have been thinking about a lot in recent years. Visiting Standing Rock in 2018 was a life changing experience and led me exactly to the believe you quoted here: “If we really want to connect to each other, this earth, and our spirits as authentically as possible, we should actively invest in learning from native cultures and divesting ourselves from Western individualism, white supremacy, and capitalism.”

Thank you for sharing this!

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Oh wow, thank you, Manuela, for sharing this powerful experience and for taking the time to leave a note. It means a lot to me!

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It takes courage to go deeper and sharing this part of yourself, Mia. Thank you for this! I hope to foster that connection you speak of through collage keeping it in the spirit of whanaungatanga. We are due for another in-person collage session! I’ll be away in May but I’m in town in April and staying put in the summer.

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Thank you, Stella! You are one of the creative angels I reference in the post. Appreciate you and look forward to our next outing.

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Love this! You are such a spectacular writer -- I feel the mycological beep boop connection from you through all your prose and wordplay. Thank you!

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Thank you so much for reading and taking the time to reply. I love you, Charley!

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What a beautiful essay Mia. I'm loving this new offering of yours. Thank you for sharing yourself.

And I'm so honored to be included under "collage artists." 😭😭😭

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Sebene! Thank you so much for your support and encouragement. (Do you know your newsletter has become my No. 1 referral?!) I appreciate you so much! Hope you are very well.

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Oh, hurrah! That makes me so happy!

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LOVE everything about this, Mia!

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Love this! Thanks for the shout-out! I'm definitely going to have to check out that Goth book! For me listening to The Cure is like commiserating with your best friend, who also happens to make incredible music. Maybe it doesn't stop the rain or right all the ways the world has wronged you. But sometimes all you really need is someone to sit in the darkness with you, until the sun comes out again.

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Yesssss.... everything about this. You get it. The Cure, Joy Division, The Smiths, New Order, Cocteau Twins, Jesus and Mary Chain...all of it was balm for the soul, still is!

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Exactly! A salve to the soothe the burn of daily living.

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Oh Mia!! This is such an amazing post and reflection. I really resonate with your desire for deeper, more meaningful connections. I am still trying to shake the remnants of the pandemic! I am excited to read that book and learn more about whanaungatanga!! Right after I finish Rupaul's Memoir... AND can we hang out?? Make this IRL..fold bandanas?!

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Justin! So good to hear from you and YES, we must discuss the memoir, bandanna styling, Howie, and more! Should we go back to Trick Dog?! I'll DM :)

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Totally!! Trick Dog is changing their theme mid month.. we should go

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I thoroughly enjoyed this Mia!! It makes me happy to see you explore what lights you up and reveal truths that motivate and inspire you. I always feel energized by your curations, especially your writing and collage work. I had never known of whanaungatanga but I'm glad I do now, there is so much to learn through belonging both in our communities and within ourselves. Thank you for this reflection!

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