I'll be at BLFC 2022!

Hey there friends and Patrons.

Are you heading to Biggest Little Fur Con 2022? If so, you'll see me there! Here's the rundown:

Sasha and I are going to be in the Dealer's Den, basically same tables as last year, facing the back-wall from the entrance:

We'll also have art in the art show. The Black Hare tier will also recognize some spicy secret art in the Adult section (!), but most of my presence is in general audience, as always. I have no clue what the demand will be on the extremely alternative side work I do, so I can't do some sales push urging you to bid before they disappear. (Though if I can say that in the future, I will be very pleased!)

Sasha and I will also be giving two talks that have been the product of many, many long hours of study and refinement.

The stereotypes talk tends to be popular enough. It's advertised here with this total thirst-trap dragon, complete with a callout to that obvious BOTF (bottom of the foot) that furries love so much. We advertised this talk in such a way to maximize visibility and audience potential, but it's also a bait-and-switch. Despite the humorous veneer, the talk covers some very important elements of human experience. The twist ending of it is explaining that we need better stereotypes, based especially off of the complex misunderstandings that I've learned about after interviewing certain furry demographics. Whether or not we realize it, fursonas carry significance. They can build us up. buy us time during stressful seasons, or they can be used to destroy us. The talk urges us to laugh, sure, but more importantly to love ourselves and others in a deeper way.

We purposefully schedule this talk before this newer and more important talk (IMO) based on our recent political education, which you can follow under the "Scribbling Left" post label.

"How Can We Organize" is just what it says on the tin. What could furries do if we worked together in smarter ways? How could that grow? I tried to do small things with immense love--just like Mother Teresa told me--but that's not good enough for me anymore, at least not by itself. I learned about Mutual Aid, which I love so much more than the hierarchical structures of Charity! I want to treat other human beings as if their freedoms are intrinsically tied to my own... because they are. I don't want to help one furry find a home. I want a furry housing network. I don't want to help one trans furry find their state's resources (or relocate after a lack thereof). I want networks of support for furries needs to be met in trans healthcare, housing, and more. I will put out individual fires every chance I get, but it's 2022, and I'm literally surrounded by fires. I'm also done burning out without working on the big picture.

This talk has a second, more direct flyer design for the folks that we think may appreciate it:
To the best of our knowledge, this kind of thing hasn't been structured before. We want to learn as much as we can from convention staff, furries all over the world, water protectors, labor orgs, everyone. We want furries to normalize discussions about food, and I don't mean hoarding apocalypse buckets in your fallout shelter. I mean self-sustainability that eventually leads to supply lines. The fandom has so much potential that I know there are little immediate things we can do to fulfill needs. I know we can take build the support networks that don't yet exist. I don't know how far it can go, but I know I'll die with regrets if I don't give this a shot.

And that's it, folks! Stay safe while COVID risks haven't decreased. Mask up if you'll be at the show, and thank you for reading.

Love,

-J