Sticky Note to Self

#stickynotetoself 200110 “From the crises and chaos comes clarity.” I write this note as a reminder from one of Boston’s architectural leaders, Corey Zehngebot, following a Womxn in Design panel hosted at @harvardgsd yesterday. It was applied to thinking about career transitions during moments in our lives (economic recessions, grief, family transitions) that can be out of our direct control. In my own life, I have learned that the moments that have left me most unnerved have actually led to some of my most meaningful work and provided clarity for the direction I wanted to progress towards. So this resonates, and I encourage you who read it to embrace the moments of life that might seem chaotic. As/once you push through, I promise the fortitude, enlightenment, and resolve you gain in the process will be worth it. (at Harvard University) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7Lx0jyjCGR/?igshid=cfmfbhzzgcn3

#stickynotetoself 200107: “Turning my what ifs into what is.” This year is all about manifesting possibilities. As our society and our nation reach new peaks of turmoil and injustice, the world around us may feel more and more dim and grim. One thing we have control over, however, is how we cope. Though I encourage people to get involved with social causes to the extent your time and emotional capacity will allow, I also encourage you to fill your year with the things you love. If there’s an adventure, project, or idea you’ve been wanting to make happen, go forth with it. Manifest it. Turn the “what if’s” inside your head into new and bold possibilities. (at Harvard University) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7JPnhRj-jk/?igshid=9wdk3x6mggng

“The gods don’t make mistakes.” - @tomiadeyemi from Children of Blood and Bone — I wrote this #stickynotetoself in a series of several quotes from the book that I wanted to remember, and it’s ironic that my pen bled/leaked in the midst of writing this particular one. I kept writing regardless, allowing myself to make mistakes, welcome them, see beauty in them, and not be afraid of them. It’s a reminder that even as we might consider ourselves as led by the gods (and ancestors), we are human and susceptible to flaws. It’s an important one to take into this new year as so many of us place pressure on ourselves to grow bigger, better, and bolder than this past year. Everything will align how they will in accordance to our destiny and divine purpose, and we can be easier on ourselves knowing that. (at Harvard University) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7Efi1ljltw/?igshid=peujcjfg2hbp

at Pinnacle Point, Memphis https://www.instagram.com/p/B5YUo27DFRb/?igshid=1shgg4iaz204h

#mikebrownforever https://www.instagram.com/p/B09WVRGDJhR/?igshid=166twws2ey7n6

We have packed up most of the #stickynotetoself notes as I (@de_nichols) prepare to move to Cambridge, MA, as a #LoebFellow at Harvard. Some will come along as a new backdrop for upcoming YouTube video reflections this fall. Stay tuned! (at St. Louis) https://www.instagram.com/p/B06slcojUMt/?igshid=htrfiehdjl7f

Another digital note to self. There’ve been so many acts of domestic terror this week alone, I have struggled to keep up. 20 more people shot and killed in El Paso yesterday morning and another 10 people in Dayton last night. All the shooters: white men with extreme white supremacist/nationalist/social media records who praise Trump I want us to be able to exist in any space—from our churches to our schools, festivals, shopping malls, and clubs—without the anxiety that a white man will unleash his hatred through the bullets of an automatic assault rifle (or any gun for the matter). Yes, I want a gun free America. More than that though, I want an America that is fed up with letting racists terrorize the public—especially communities of color that have already suffered from legacies and generations of political hatred, disenfranchisement, and oppression. I want an America that will no longer coddle white men, place them undeservingly in positions of power, and protect them in the midst of self-serving wrongdoing against other cultures. I also want an America that will stand up to racist, corrupt, and murderous police officers, elected officials, and local leaders who do not serve/protect/attend to the full demographics of their communities. I want an America that will own up to these vices and other pitfalls and use its resources to relieve people of such hellish anxieties through structural, political, and social justice reforms, including more strenuous gun laws. (at St. Louis) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0v-NnMjSPu/?igshid=11z25l24nukuv

There’ve been so many acts of domestic terror this week alone, I have struggled to keep up. 20 more people shot and killed in El Paso yesterday morning and another 10 people in Dayton last night. All the shooters: white men with extreme white supremacist/nationalist/social media records who praise Trump I want us to be able to exist in any space—from our churches to our schools, festivals, shopping malls, and clubs—without the anxiety that a white man will unleash his hatred through the bullets of an automatic assault rifle (or any gun for the matter). Yes, I want a gun free America. More than that though, I want an America that is fed up with letting racists terrorize the public—especially communities of color that have already suffered from legacies and generations of political hatred, disenfranchisement, and oppression. I want an America that will no longer coddle white men, place them undeservingly in positions of power, and protect them in the midst of self-serving wrongdoing against other cultures. I also want an America that will stand up to racist, corrupt, and murderous police officers, elected officials, and local leaders who do not serve/protect/attend to the full demographics of their communities. I want an America that will own up to these vices and other pitfalls and use its resources to relieve people of such hellish anxieties through structural, political, and social justice reforms, including more strenuous gun laws. (at St. Louis) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0v7ldUDKQs/?igshid=vwsi49ukaxxc

“I am indebted to no one, obligated to no thing, confined to no place, and attached to no idea except those that move me closer to my purpose.” This #stickynotetoself might sound selfish, but so often we spend significant time and energy focused and attached to things that are not in alignment with our potential. Increasingly, it becomes imperative that we exert intentionality around the people, places, and opportunities that we engage. This note is more of a reminder that we can break free from the things that make us feel stuck. (at Tower Grove Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0qf4RUjBmf/?igshid=1f4f0r2l6w1a4

#regram of this framed #stickynotetoself print at @gina_sher’s home (at St. Louis) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz21SllDNeV/?igshid=1d1900710ci8f

A digital remake of an old note for an upcoming project. #counterpublic (at St. Louis) https://www.instagram.com/stickynotetoselfproject/p/BvIC67ejo5E/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=jegz2ed00myn

#stickynotetoself “The path toward equity is not paved in erasure.” Sometimes I get really exhausted with the buzzwords of social change work. Because of overuse and misuse, the values and principles that are essential for us to live and work in harmony become so easily reduced to buzzwords, trends, and temporary philanthropic priorities. These words include things like diversity, inclusion, community, engagement, empowerment, youth-centered, place-based, and most recently....equity. Now, I kid you not—equity, especially racial equity—is a key principle and goal of the work that I engage with several organizations that I'm apart of. However, so often, it can seem that very people who lead or profess to be experts of equity-centered practices are often unaware of their own perpetuation of oppressive behaviors towards the very bodies of people they seek to align with and support. — #equity #racialequity #sntssunday (at St. Louis) https://www.instagram.com/stickynotetoselfproject/p/Bu2DVu3DaFX/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=6txh5vik1v9c

This is a whole “Sticky Note mantra” wall that @soulardschool students created with their art teacher, Ms. Jackie. 💛📝 (at The Soulard School) https://www.instagram.com/stickynotetoselfproject/p/BuYytMgjYZk/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=rpoufzwcooms

It has been a joy to engage with the @soulardschool this school year. It’s been even cooler to walk into the school and learn all the extended ways that students and teachers have integrated visual meditation, mindfulness, and more into the hallways and practices of their work. Like this wall of mantras! (at The Soulard School) https://www.instagram.com/stickynotetoselfproject/p/BuYyJPkDTPs/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1kdlnc7xdwcqm

“Discomfort is okay.” A #stickynotetoself from a parent at the @soulardschool, written during our parent assembly and workshop for the year-long collaboration with their teachers and students. (at The Soulard School) https://www.instagram.com/p/BrIiHSCj8eu/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=mudkgrx2egh5

#stickynotetoself “Yes, take the adventure.” Today, I’m off to Miami for Art Basel, and though I’d been anticipating this trip for months to support my friend Damon Davis as he exhibits work, I nearly didn’t make the trip. I let my anxieties and assumed obligations second-Guess what my heart desires to do. I talked to a mentor about it, and they said these words to me, “take the adventure.” If you have cultivated a career that allows you to work from anywhere, let that “anywhere” expand into new spaces and experiences. Cheers to my first Art Basel. (at Miami, Florida) https://www.instagram.com/p/BrA7STPHe8a/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=ne8vufarflsu

#stickynotetoself “ status is not a crime, shame, or death sentence.” — today is world AIDS day, and last night I got to serve on a panel discussion after viewing the 2018 visual aids video compilation. During both the video and our conversation with other viewers, we talked heavily about creative ideas to reduce the stigma and criminalization of people who have been directly or indirectly affected by HIV or AIDS. As I continue reflecting on the film and our dialogue, I seek to remember this important truth and mandate to stand up for those who have been shamed or isolated, advocate for the decriminalization of people with positive status, and learn more to help destigmatize this public health challenge. — #worldaidsday #worldaidsday2018 #hivawareness #aidsawareness (at St. Louis) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bq3gGu7j2Ak/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=8erfo2yeas03