I took a break from working on projects this morning. I was really motivated, but I forced myself to take a break for health reasons. Then the doubt seeped in. I caught myself questioning myself, and I knew the self-criticism was without merit. But I lost a little steam.
I dawdled on Facebook, when a post sparked a need to look through some old belongings I hadn’t touched in years. In the process, I found my copy of On the Road by Kerouac, which I had thought was lost. Inside the book, there was this postcard from my writing mentor, Ray Kelleher. He wrote it in 1996 explaining he would be gone and when he would be back, and ended the card, “Write Anyway! Be-bop lives.”
Postcard from my writing mentor, Ray Kelleher, to our high school writing workshop. 1996. It was hidden in my copy of Kerouac’s “On the Road.”
Postcard from my writing mentor, Ray Kelleher, to our high school writing workshop. 1996
He died several years back. I didn’t learn until well after the fact. Sometimes signs from him pop up. Like this.
I’m back at the computer. I’m sharing because there’s probably others who need a kick from the other side to get back to working on what you love, too.
On Saturday I trekked around town with my favorite local dance studio and took pictures. Due to concerns about copyright infringement/ intellectual property theft based on recent experiences, I am being more cautious about sharing photos. So on Sunday I began working on some new watermarks for my images. From doodles to digital versions, here’s some of what I came up with. {Considering a lot of my work is typically serious in nature, I have a few more designs in the works as well.}
Cheers!
Suzanne
Illustration of coffee mug with heart and No, Mine! Studios. Suzanne Skaar 2019Illustration of little thunder cloud, cloud with No, Mine! Studios written inside, and sunshine peeking from behind. Suzanne Skaar 2019Illustration titled “Some Days”, originally drawn in 2014 but reworked into logo which reads: “Suzanne Skaar No, Mine! Studios nominestudios.com” Suzanne Skaar 2019
Hi all! We’re meeting at Fern Hill Library at 11:30 a.m. to discuss the Incubator project. We’ll be at Red Hot on 6th Ave (Tacoma) at 4 p.m. to discuss the upcoming film project. See you soon!
In response to support from others to this idea, I am initiating an incubator to provide the kind of institutional support that women, people of color, and LGBTQIA+ independent researchers and artists currently lack in our community. Join me in getting this off the ground.
Background:
Writers, artists, researchers, and historians from underrepresented populations are losing out on opportunities in terms of access, money, and more. Much of this is due to not being welcomed and/ or feeling comfortable participating in the established institutions that officials first look to for experts. When individuals from underrepresented populations do show up, we find events led by white men, who primarily talk about other white men (dead or alive). When women are discussed, all too often we find it’s in the context of being wives of either the presenter or the subject, victims, or visual aids (women greeting returning soldiers on docks). Queer and people of color are often entirely erased from our city’s historical narratives. Women, queer, and non-white narratives are often presented as one-off or special events, and not interwoven into the larger historical context. Research has shown that in order to be considered for professional opportunities, women are often expected to have much higher levels of education than men for similar roles. Despite various agencies’ calls for equality in funding, we face sexual harassment, gender discrimination, ageism, and more before we can even get to the point to apply for funding. Without the support of established networks, we don’t have the same reach for resources that come with membership in these older institutions. When women are left with the added duty of childcare, we don’t have the resources to attend networking events, particularly those in the evening, which further separates us from those in decision making roles.
Goals:
In order to begin to address some of the long-standing problems, the incubator will be designed to:
Engage in thorough analyses of cultural activities and funding based on gender, race, and other factors.
Provide quarterly platforms for presentations of research and creative projects across a broad spectrum of fields, including but not limited to: social justice, environmental science, math and technology, art, film, media, history, and more.
Host working salons for those seeking feedback on works-in-progress with experts in the related fields.
Provide assistance in form of grant writing workshops, partnerships with city and other large organizations, and more.
Provide training to local institutions/ arts communities regarding removing barriers for women getting into the STEAM fields.
Help secure partnerships with larger institutions for incubator participants by speaking to quality of participants’ work.
Help secure childcare, transportation, equipment, and necessary membership/ association fees for participants who want to engage field research.
Provide professional workshops for women, transgender, and non-binary individuals at no-cost.
Encourage and provide the support necessary to mother researchers to stay engaged in work across a wide spectrum of fields.
Provide a printing press for anthologies and solo works by selected incubator participants.
Provide child friendly networking events so that parent researchers can engage with peers.
Engage in fundraising activities as necessary to secure the longevity of the organization.
(*The above list is a starting point and is open to revision.)
If you want to help with this project (volunteer, host organization, sponsor, etc.), please email suzanneskaar@gmail.com with the subject line “Incubator.”
Our initial meeting with be Saturday, June 22, at 11 a.m. Location to be determined based on number of attendees. A Facebook event will also be created for RSVP purposes.
Never underestimate the power of a favorite hat and boots, even when it’s approaching summer. My kid’s fashion is on point.
Isobel on a mission. Suzanne Skaar, 2019.My hat looks way better on her. I’m okay with this. Suzanne Skaar 2019.Playing in the rhodies at Wapato Lake. Suzanne Skaar 2019.Isobel gathered fallen flowers and brought them across the field one at a time. Suzanne Skaar. 2019
I think I’ve spent enough time on the computer today. Time to go play outside. If you’re reading this, I hope you take the time today to go do the same.
On Tuesday, May 21, several Tacoma residents gathered in front of the Federal Courthouse to speak out for women’s rights and to protect access to abortion. I was incredibly proud to see such a strong turnout and meet some great people. Here are some photos from the event.
It is great to see so many young people involved in this fight.But, the fact that this fight is still going on today is infuriating. Women deserve bodily autonomy.Mothers understand the importance of protecting the right of autonomy for our daughters.It’s our duty to ensure the next generation understands their rights and how to fight for them.We can’t keep letting history repeat itself.When abortion is illegal, women die.The Raging Grannies were on hand to encourage us to speak up and sing out.Here’s a closeup of some of the lyrics.We can’t sit back and watch our rights be stolen.When one group is attacked, it paves the way for other vulnerable populations to be attacked. The abortion bans are not about protecting life. The bans are about taking power away from women — just as other conservative policies are doing to immigrants, people of color, LGBTQIA individuals, low-income populations, and more.If we want change, we must stand together.We need to fight for human rights.
For more pictures from this event, please visit my photo gallery.
Governor Jay Inslee has changed his mind and says he is now opposed to the Liquefied Natural Gas Plant in Tacoma, WA. My first impression regarding his change of mind was cynicism. Activists have been fighting for years to protect not only the potential danger to our community from a leak in the storage facility or a derailed train, but those communities in which toxic fracking operations already poison and deplete the water supply. In fact, here is a podcast I produced in 2016 with some of the activists that first brought the dangers of the Tacoma LNG project specifically to the public’s attention. [This was after our community’s successful battle against the proposed Methanol plant.] But this is a huge fight, and we need all the allies we can get: late to the battlefield or not.
We need to pay attention to the science and keep fighting for sound environmental policies. Climate change is real, man-made, and threatens the safety of our current and future generations. The disproportionate impact of climate change on low-income communities and communities of color necessitates that anyone interested in protecting human rights also pay attention to environmental protections.
Use your skills to contribute to this fight: Do your research with credible resources. Question funding sources for studies. Continue to hold elected officials and candidates accountable on these issues. Use the PDC to track campaign contributions. Write letters. Call representatives. Organize rallies. Make posters. Share information via social media. And parents/ educators, teach your kids why activism is so important. Change is possible and imperative.
The last few weeks have been jam-packed with projects, and I feel like I’m just now able to catch my breath.
On April 19, I presented my research project, “Immigration and Tacoma: Past and Present,” at Tacoma’s Tripod Series. Thank you to all those who agreed to be interviewed for this project, and to the fabulous Lynn Di Nino for allowing me to be a part of this event. I will share more on this at a later date.
Earlier in that same day, I hosted South End Neighborhood Council’s Neighborhood Moment, in partnership with TV Tacoma, as well as guests from Tacoma Community House and the Tacoma Refugee Choir. Click here for more information.
If you’re in Tacoma on Friday, May 10, you should check out the Grand Cinema’s 253 Short Film Fest Viewing Party! I signed up with a group of total strangers, wrote the script, and constructed props for the project “Terrorium”, which we had 72 hours to complete. Like you, it will be my first time seeing the finished product! Click here for tickets and more details.
Currently, I’m available for writing, presentations, consultations, and more. Send me a message at suzanneskaar@hotmail.com.
No, Mine! Studios 