Ok! I hate Instagram but I don't really have much of an audience here so I've been avoiding it but seems like an ok place thus far... But that's okay, speaking into the void is kinda my thing.
I'm a loner, Dottie, a rebel, and that means that I communicate with other city dwellers in the silent language of our peoples through sticky vinyl on telephone poles and the backs of stop signs.
I kind of love the temporariness of it all. I'll come in someday and on my walk into work furtively peek over where I know I left a sticker a few days ago. And lo, it's gone. Covered with a coat of silver paint.
But I put up another (free Palestine!) sticker over the newly blank space, and when I walk past it towards my bus home at the end of the day, I see others pass it and keep glancing long enough to read it. I get a stealthy thumbs up from a cool old punk guy at a red light after I smooth out a (pro choice) sticker on the pole as we wait for the walk sign.
It's quieter than the bots and podcasts but there has to be some voices out there adding to the noise. I just don't have it in me to do the warfare online, so this is what I do in my city. Every time I talk to people in real life, I find connection.
I went to a retreat centering around a particular niche passion. And the people were all so great. Amazing demographic, people from all over the world (usa mainly) and wishing I could be friends with them in real life. And for four nights, I made the drinks. I got a whole bunch of folks liking creme de violette, go me (water lily ftw 🍸) and the last night, I hauled out my collection.
Stacks of pretty lady stickers (Jiji Knight) and cat art stickers (Stasia Burrington) and a bunch of local stickers from monstermonster (which is for sale, which is so sad...) and so many queer stickers and feminist stickers and assorted fun things. And people ask if they're free and I say yes! (Enjoy! Use! Share!)
And then I stack a big group of stickers that are antifascist and fuck ice and who the fuck elected elon musk (not as relevant now, turns out. Jfc what a loser. And this is coming from a huge nerd he would dismiss entirely of having any value at all) and no fascist usa and proceed to direct every single person who comes to partake of my stash to bring back to their towns. (Enjoy! Use! Share!)
And many did, and that makes me really happy. Tiny voices, but at least they're out there.