when lizzo said "self love is survival" and when hannah gadsby said "do you understand what self-deprecation means when it comes from somebody who already exists in the margins? it’s not humility. it’s humiliation" and when mitski said "i used to rebel by destroying myself, but realized that’s awfully convenient to the world. for some of us our best revolt is self preservation"

rip to all the kids who used to reads books cover to cover in one sitting and now can’t find the energy to read for fun

Y'all know that individual health behaviors - choices around nutrition, exercise, smoking, etc. - only account for about 25% of a person’s health status? The determinants of health are largely social: income and education level, the safety of one’s physical environment (e.g. working conditions, clean water), and degree of social support. Trauma is far worse for health than fast food.

It’s tempting to subscribe to a just world theory, where good things happen to good people (or people who make good decisions), and problems befall problem people, but that just isn’t the world we live in.

Most sick people have spent their lives fighting against oppressive circumstances. They don’t invite illness and hardship with their bad decisions, they are miracles of survival in a sociopolitical environment that’s hostile to their very existence.

Circus Tree: Six individual sycamore trees were shaped, bent, and braided to form this.

Summer Fields by Maya Beano

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Print Shop  •   Instagram   •  Giphy   •  Behance

Fuzzy Friday. A fuzzy Anthophora is hard to beat. Here is a past picture of a male Anthophora affabilis. A western bee caught at the very edge of its distribution in the Badlands of South Dakota. Remind me to publish those results….loads of interesting distributional records. Thanks. Photo by Kamren Jefferson.

| Darkest Edge |

Badlands National Park, South Dakota. Instagram.com/jaxsonpohlmanphotography

Sunset colors in South Dakota by Chad Cowan

Alice in Wonderland (1951)

Breathe. I love you. 

(now to go pet a dog. or clean. thank you fur bot gif)

The paradox of love and desire. Crisis of desire as a crisis of imagination. Coming back to life from trauma. Eroticism as an antidote to death (as expression of vitality/a connection to our ability to find pleasure). Creating space from vigilance, drive for security. Creating private erotic space. Radiance and confidence inspires desire - learning to love oneself and finding your inner light as healing for all the relationships you have. 

Ester Perel TEDSalon NY2013: The secret to desire in a long-term relationship

Transcript here: https://www.ted.com/talks/esther_perel_the_secret_to_desire_in_a_long_term_relationship/transcript#t-34912

maybe this time

I will get it right. Maybe not. But at least if I am trying—I am learning, however those lessons come. I am so thankful for wherever that wisdom comes from. We all have so much, but it’s so easy to forget. Especially in the face of this strange reality.  Here I hope to find a little more connection, to honor the voices and stories that guide me a little closer towards building a home inside myself, and to offer my story up so that maybe this time the path I’m winding out may stay lit. Thank you for this space.

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Swimming

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