On: digital grief, to share or not to share?

"why are we here if not for each other?" - Claudia Rankine 🌿 

Hey you.

I really hope this finds you well.

West London hasn´t been far from my thoughts or heart these days, sure many of you relate. To everyone affected by the tragic events in the Grenfell community and their friends and family, i´m holding space for you and have been wondering how best to be useful- more on that below.

I have some friends in the area who have been working tirelessly to support the community and keep us updated. It´s heartbreaking to see such tragedy and pain, but incredible to see the way the community has been supporting each other. Inspirational.

If there´s anything to be learned from any kind of loss, it´s to connect more, to look after and support each other. 
 
Being outside of London it´s been difficult to find out the best ways to help - what to send that’s most urgent right now, and where to show up to the most useful location.

Here´s a link to the Grenfell Community Response and Support page - worth checking here first as it´s updated daily.

Here’s an update on places to donate to if you´re not in the area but want to support the people who have faced so much trauma and devastating loss. 

Info is constantly being updated of course, so feel free to share updates or any new info on my facebook page and spread the word.

On: digital grief, to share or not to share?

Navigating online space amidst heartwrenching news is tricky. To speak up or keep quiet? To take up space and talk about the stuff that feels difficult, or to be silent? Trauma sensitivity is something that’s always on my mind, but it´s a fine balance for us all, knowing when it feels right to share or not.

Of course, i want my emails to you to be an offering that helps to create more positive space in the world, and i always hope to leave someone feeling better than how i found them. But i also realise that we’re each navigating our own terrain with different things going on at any time.

That said, we can surely all relate to that awkward posting by some brand or businessperson that´s completely insensitive to something that’s happened, obliviously trying to sell something or worse - using the tragic event to get more sales. Horrible.

I don’t really have any answers but as an empath and an INFP, i find it hard to compartmentalise and so tend to take a step back from posting on timelines when i´m feeling affected by something. Although some of you who watch my instagram stories know, that tends to be the place i’ll share something. Or twitter. Sometimes i can’t help but feel it’s my duty to speak up and i yearn to connect to others to simply...connect, human to human. Although i’m still conflicted about what to even say sometimes. Do you know what i mean?

I guess my point is, if you’re also wading through this stuff, wondering what’s the right protocol or wondering if it’s ok to take up space in a time of collective grief, know you´re not alone, there´s certainly no rules with this stuff. We’re all learning and trying to make sense of the world in the best way we can. Don´t feel shamed into keeping your feelings on lockdown because someone feels it´s uncouth to be emotional or to feel. If you are passionate about something, and sharing your voice with good intentions, trust the right people will connect to that. 

(...Also reminding myself of this these days, it´s scary to step out and take up space, but if i can support more people by being “out there” then i can get with that).

But also trust you don't always have to speak up if you don´t have anything to say. That doesn't make you any less caring.

I hope that helps in some way.

Fundraising yoga class this Tuesday in Brighton

Like so many people i´m feeling so sad and helpless watching the news- wanting to do something but not knowing what’s best. So i’m starting with what i have, and want to offer this Tuesday's yoga class at the One Girl Band space to raise funds to send to those in need in the area of Grenfell Tower. All proceeds will go here.

Class will be by donation, so please come along and give what you can. If you can’t make it but want to donate, check the link above. Please spread the word to anyone who might be interested! Also, people are welcome to just come and rest in the room. All “levels” welcome including people who have never been to a yoga class before.

Link to the facebook event is here

Link to general info about the event is here
 
Also...

I´m interested in collaborating with people to raise more funds to send to those in need in the area, thinking about some kind of yoga/spacemaking/creative session/gathering/community collective in Brighton to just show up for each other and our wider community.

So if you’re in Brighton and have a venue you would like to donate for an event please get in touch. Or if you have ideas and feel you want to do something like this, please hit reply to this mail and let´s brainstorm something beautiful. 
 
What to do if you´re not physically nearby but want to take action?

Realise there’s many of you who receive this mail that are all over the world and also want to help. So please check the links above for direct donations. 

You’re appreciated.

Take care of you,

Dionne x