New projects & things I read this week: 11/10

HI FRIENDS!!!

I’m all-caps-extra-exclamation-mark excited to tell you about my new Skillshare class!

An Online Skillshare Class by Margot Harrington

In it we talk about how to DO THE MONEY when it comes irregularly in fits and starts, goal-setting, working with clients, how the heck anyone who freelances ever stays sane and on schedule. While it’s targeted first to the new-new business people, but also I think there’s plenty of info for more seasoned pros. Especially if you’re like me and you started your business without much planning or a bigger picture in mind. It’s a little nerve-wracking putting this out there, but I’m sending all the good vibes I have into the universe in hopes the folks who need this class the most will heed the call. As of this point almost 40% of the American workforce is not on a full-time pre-taxed salary with benefits and 401k, and this number is only projected to increase. So you are out there, my people, let’s all help each other!

Anyway! If you’re only here for the reading material, I shan’t disappoint. Here we go!

“He told me politely that he didn’t have any photos of himself and would very much appreciate me taking one. He wrote down an e-mail address and requested that I friend him on Facebook. I asked him what he did while I checked the focus. He thought about it for a minute.

“What I can,” he replied. “I do what’s moral. I try to help people.”

“That’s great,” I said and we made some other small talk.

“By the way,” he added as I was turning to leave. “What are you? You’re thick as hell.”

The Men that I Met: a look back at the men looking at me. A female photographer in Chicago catalogues the men who approach her, asking for a picture. It’s an excellent twist on the complexities of catcalling. I want to give this Hillary a hug.

+ Have you been listening to This American Life’s new spin-off podcast, Serial?! HOLY CRUD. Or as comedian Mike Birbiglia calls it, “Blues Clues for adults”. I’ve been wondering if the racial complexities would surface around this case, and yep, Jay Caspian King pretty much nails it in this essay.

+ And speaking of race, the Washington Post has done an impeccable interactive campaign discussing the use of the n-word. Please spend a few minutes looking at these videos.

+ My friend Mercedes has just launched a woman-focused zine subscription service! This is gonna be gold. Sign-up here!

+ It’s now officially confirmed by a new study: women with kids are literally more productive than everyone yet still experience bias in the workplace. Bosses, take note. Next time you miss a deadline because your little munchkin has a fever, remember that you’ve already been making up for this and then some. One less thing to feel guilt over!

+ Impressively diverse picture of Chicago’s tech scene. I hope you’re listening, Chicago Tech Week! Let’s hope this marks the end of “X people you should know in tech” lists that are 80% or more of white guys.

+ I finished Amy Poehler’s new book, Yes Please! in about 5 days. It’s a delight, full of excellent, gracious advice and behind-the-scenes stories. Amy (and Tina Fey) are the world’s best friends!

Things I read (mostly) this week: 11/3

I missed last week because I played hooky to celebrate halloween the little nieces, so this week you get extra content! Lucky for you. Themes in this dispatch: loss, women in tech and the arts, and elections.

+ This piece on kindness was widely shared this week, and for good reason. If you are struggling with a loss, or have a sick parent then this’ll lighten your aching heart some.

+ I loved this piece about what it’s like to be a black woman in tech. Anyone who’s ever been the token anything will relate to this story, but I also encourage men to read this to learn to recognize some of the signs and be more empathetic to the women facing them. Related, the pitfalls of being a male ally.

+ How being 41, pregnant, and single is the new normal.

+ This travel story on flying kites for Dia de los Muetos at Lake Atitlan in Guatemala came out of nowhere, crazy because I wasn’t looking for anything when I picked up this magazine and I happen to be going to this exact part of Guatemala in a couple weeks for a yoga + writing retreat. Even if you don’t have any trips coming up, it’s a well-written rumination on how different cultures celebrate death.

+ Listened to how women stopped coding in large numbers in the 1980’s.

+ Dads talking to their daughters about body parts and how to be supportive as girls grow up.

+ I’m going to nom on these delicata squash and black bean enchiladas, only with salsa verde pro favor

+ Curating art for characters is a lovely series. The art picked for Amelié is pitch perfect.

+ 10 Female Dataists you should know

+ A teen (girl!) comes up with the best algorithm for fighting cyberbullying I’ve seen so far. Research so far shows it is over 90% effective in reducing hate speech messages. Investors, where are you? Give this kid all the moneys.

Ugh, Elections amiright:

“It was demoralizing to watch some truly pro-woman candidates like Wendy Davis lose on Election Day as other candidates win by ignoring or outright disparaging the very feminist values that enabled them to become politicians in the first place. As I watched the Republican women deliver their victory speeches, I wondered: Has she never been on birth control? Has she never had a pregnancy scare? Has she never had a friend threatened by a man with a gun? Has her life experience really taught her that everyone ignores race and gender and judges each other on the merits?” – Why the Midterms were bad for Women

Interestingly, I finished Margaret Atwood’s book The Handmaid’s Tale last week, which is a strange book to read around the time of an election. It’s about a futuristic dystopian, heavily militarized, and highly physically repressed American society where white women (there are no openly gay, trans, or people of color in the story, because according to the epilogue, they were “phased out”) are ENTIRELY subservient to men upon threat of extreme exile or death. This book taught me to imagine how it could be possible that slowly and steadily people could be stripped of choice until after a few generations, no one remembers what it was like to be able to do anything, much less vote. Written by Atwood in 1985, it’s still quite relevant as this week’s election presents no major gain for women and other marginalized groups. As much as a downer as this book was, I think it’s an important story in remembering why civic duty exists in the first place. And to bring this book’s message beyond women’s studies classes where it’s probably most often discussed, to continue to fight for equal rights for all. As I was mulling this over, I saw this excellent explainer on Facebook, which gives me a huge dose of hope that these election losses can be improved on in 2016. So, there’s at least a hopeful note to end on!

Until next time, friends!

Things I Read / Watched / Learned Week of 10/20*


From the women of NPR this video: Talking While Female explores the ways in which women are written off simply by their voices and how we use them. Illustrations by one my favorite graphic designers, Kelli Anderson.

+ Are you using Slack chat app yet? If you’re already using it for multiple teams, then you’ll appreciate this new beta version of Slack Multiple. Get into it and see for yourself how this app is a real game changer. Some people even think it’s going to kill email.

+ A first person story of a woman’s abortion in 1959.

+ The Toast’s hilarious breakdown of current internet slang. I can’t even with this it’s everything my spirit animal…

+ Erin Loechner’s real bio is fantastic and embraces shades of gray not often seen on the internet.

+ While co-working a couple weeks ago with a friend who recently had a little one (Hi Crystal! Hi June!) I thought about how a lot of the music I listen to isn’t always scalable to the youngest and oldest among us. So I responded with this playlist. It’s called Classy Tunes for Young Folks, but really there’s still plenty of stuff on here the aged will like as well as some songs that expressly remind me of my own parents. If I were still working with kids I’d play this during free play, when coloring, cleaning, or other busy work.

*As of 10:38am.

Things I read/watched/learned this week of 10/20*


From the women of NPR this video: Talking While Female explores the ways in which women are written off simply by their voices and how we use them. Illustrations by one my favorite graphic designers, Kelli Anderson.

+ Are you using Slack chat app yet? If you’re already using it for multiple teams, then you’ll appreciate this new beta version of Slack Multiple. Get into it and see for yourself how this app is a real game changer. Some people even think it’s going to kill email.

+ A first person story of a woman’s abortion in 1959.

+ The Toast’s hilarious breakdown of current internet slang. I can’t even with this it’s everything my spirit animal…

+ Erin Loechner’s real bio is fantastic and embraces shades of gray not often seen on the internet.

+ While co-working a couple weeks ago with a friend who recently had a little one (Hi Crystal! Hi June!) I thought about how a lot of the music I listen to isn’t always scalable to the youngest and oldest among us. So I responded with this playlist. It’s called Classy Tunes for Young Folks, but really there’s still plenty of stuff on here the aged will like as well as some songs that expressly remind me of my own parents. If I were still working with kids I’d play this during free play, when coloring, cleaning, or other busy work.

*As of 10:38am.

Things I read this week 10/13*

Slightly lighter reading this week due to  focus on client work and family visiting for my partner’s solo show exhibition (hi Mom! I know I’m supposed to be getting ready instead of on the computer :-). But, here’s a few of the best.

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I could look at this moving drawing from artist Lilli Carré all. day. long.

+ The Price of Black Ambition, a new essay from one of my faves Roxanne Gay, put a lump in my throat.

+ What I saw as an NFL Ball Boy. As gritty as you might expect, but also optimistic about the future of the NFL.

+ Common things men in tech can do to be more inclusive. Actually, this should be for everyone because I’ve caught myself doing one or two of these things too.

+ Aminatou Sow pretty much wins the internet for the day with this:

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Yes, my friend. You nailed it.

Until next week friends! Off to see the work of prolific Chicago photographer, Vivian Maier. Hoping to find an instagram or two to file away for later.

*As of 11:45am