Hi Earthlings,
Subscribe to my newsletter if you need a little ocean optimism. Every month I'll send out a list of 6 things I think are worth sharing — new doodles, writing, and interesting links.... straight to your inbox.
Here are 6 things I thought were worth sharing this month:
1. I stopped thinking I can't draw and I'm just doing it! I've been making mini-zines in my spare time and I'll put them on my website/ IG maybe they'll inspire you; it's both healing and liberating. Having OceanX comment - " They're not bad! They've actually got a rad cool illustrator style," has got me feeling encouraged :)) Try doodling more to beat climate +pandemic anxiety 👌
2. Books I want to buy : They are all arty books! I bought climate books for Christmas and still haven't read most, because it just feels so heavy most of the time ( I'm rethinking how to get immersed in the solutions in ways that are more personal and joyful ).
My October book picks are pretty much everything from Austin Kleon the author of Steal Like An Artist. 140 Artists’ Ideas for Planet Earth. The Art of Noticing: 131 Ways to Spark Creativity, Find Inspiration, and Discover Joy in the Everyday. And one book about writing : Several Short Sentences About Writing, Verlyn Klinkenborg. I'm struggling to write more! Ugh. I need writing days, a retreat... something...
3. Papers I would recommend for weaving more social equity into your work. Mine of course
The Equitable Caribbean Blue Economy. I also love these questions; as part of A People’s Orientation to a Regenerative Economy .
Who tells the story?
Who makes the decisions?
Who benefits, and how?
What else will this impact?
How will this build or shift power?
4. Advancing Social Equity in and Through Marine Conservation is a must read and co-author Asha de Vos was also recently named in the 2021 shortlist in the Scientific Achievement category of the Nature Research Awards for Inspiring Women in Science
5. Check out this amazing trailer for a new series led by Will Smith, featuring the Caribbean's very own Dr. Diva Amon!! I can't wait to watch this badass deep-sea science communicator from Trinidad & Tobago in action! You can also catch a unedited chat we had earlier this year on The Blue Zone here.
6. FathomNet has launched its beta release. This is a database of annotated underwater images for AI applications and has so much potential to transform underwater visual data analysis and science communication, in small islands with big ocean spaces!
If you're on twitter, this is some good news for RT
Here’s Dr. Katy Croff Bell RT
And the original FathomNet tweet.
6+ 1. I've been designing & co-designing mini workshops, my last set were with South African Nasreen Peer and Shriya Rai for Ocean Heroes Bootcamp Africa & India. Nasreen Peer - Marine Biologist/Educator and Founder of Argonaut Science. Follow here on IG @Naszoea . Shriya is a National Geographic 2020 Young Explorer, and is the founder of an organization called Sashakt Bharat which is a youth-led network focusing on creating localized conversations and strategies for fostering sustainable development principles across India. Check them out!
Thanks for reading. This newsletter is free, but not cheap. You can help it keep going: forward it to someone who’d like it, read my paper, donate to Fish 'N Fins or hire me to speak. I'll work on some cool things for you to shop for the New Year, I know you want to buy a Fish 'N Fins T-shirt or stickers, so we 'll figure out how to make it easy to get to you.
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Veta, xoxo