Sheletta Brundidge speaking at the Feminist Future Festival
I have had the incredibly good fortune of spending some time in the future lately.
I’ve been in spaces—events, gatherings—largely attended by women, and also by men who are comfortable being in the company of many women and gender-expansive people.
I’ve heard two (!) women introduce themselves in the Ojibwe language.
I’ve been able to take a lot of time to care for myself. I’ve rested. I’ve gone to yoga (!). I’ve taken a long walk through my neighborhood, stopping at several little free libraries. I’ve spent time in nature.
And, I came across this quote on the back of a book by Liz Rog:
“Building community is to the collective as spiritual practice is to the individual.” - Grace Lee Boggs
Floral design at the She Leads International conference by Andrea Mikla
I’ve also been very grateful to have the support of my husband while I was doing many of these things. He came with me to a yoga class too, while my mother-in-law watched our kids. When I traveled for a conference my work hosted, we called on our amazing village of friends and family to help him care for the kids while I was gone.
There’s a thread running through all of this: community, care, and the ways we show up for one another.
I have to share, too, that I’ve been working on something really exciting: my first choral composition. It’s the final part of my audition for the International Choral Composers Institute, happening this July. And wouldn’t you know, the theme that runs through that piece too? Community. Collective care.
I don’t have a specific goal in writing this post—other than to say: these things are happening right now.
They’re not always visible. They’re not the main stories you might be hearing. They might not even be the secondary stories.
But I guarantee—if you set the intention, if you pause in your day and really look around you…if you take a moment to unplug from the virtual world and step into the real one… you’ll find your own version of what I’ve just described.
And it might not look the way you think it will. It might at first appear as an inconvenience, or something you don’t have time for.
But just see if you can adopt a spirit of curiosity. See if you can stay open.
To what?
Hope. Promise. Whatever the future looks like—for you.
I’m excited for you. I hope you can see things in a new way this week—or this weekend.
Take care, and be well.
~Nicole
My work is always offered freely, but if you would like to support me financially, please visit my Ko-Fi to buy me a coffee, lunch, or a few hours of childcare for my kids. :D Thank you.