I’ve made some huge mistakes. Over the years, I have personally failed to:
Prevent the election of fascists
Invent a cruelty-free dinner everyone likes
Stop anti-union bigots
Raise children who clean up after themselves
Expand affordable housing
Shut up when I should’ve
Speak up when I should’ve
Stop ICE kidnappings or police shootings
Reverse climate change
If you already know where this is going and want to join us…
Sure, you could say, “Ashia… you cannot personally fix any of this.”
Or, “These are community-scale problems.”
Or, “Also, you never brought cupcakes to the PTO bake sale.”
Doesn’t matter. The shrill voices of capitalism, hyper-independence, and internalized-isms are screaming too loudly for me to hear you anyway.
Which is why we come together, once a year, to hush those voices so we can think straight and create an effective path to change.
Let's Figure This Out Together
There’s no preventing, recovering, or solving anything when we’re stuck in bullshit, blame, and the derailment machine that fuels oppression.
The Winter Incubator pulled me out of that spiral. It kept me focused and connected with a community of accomplices. It gave me the fuel I need to contribute to local, federal, and cultural initiatives that actually helped people.
Everyone is suffering, assholes are dismantling what little support we have, and everything feels like it’s sliding downhill. So yes, I feel guilty that my kids and I are temporarily okay — safe-ish, stable-ish, not drowning.
What kind of monster enjoys tea and a nice walk while children suffer?
(There go those shrill voices again.)
Are you feeling this too?
The guilt to do MORE, push HARDER, the belief that change won’t happen until you set yourself on fire to keep others warm?
We didn’t inherit these voices from people who wanted us to be effective. They’re tools of a system that wants us exhausted, confused, and complicit. The structures that gave us these messages do not want justice.
Our gatherings gave me permission to stop wasting time on bullshit and busywork. I became more reliable, a better team player, better at setting boundaries, and more patient with my kids.
Joining the Winter Incubator every year gives me the clarity to ignore the shrill nonsense and fight the actual opposition — bigots, fascists, corporations, billionaires.
Let those jerks quake in their boots. This winter, we become dangerous.
Everything I’ve gained here - the clarity, the steadiness, the ability to take real action instead of flailing out in a panic, is exactly what we practice together during the Winter Incubator.
This January, we explore:
How to break out of the Panic/Hustle/Burnout cycle so you can think clearly again
Practical tools for showing up for others and pacing your advocacy without burning out
How to rebuild your capacity so you have something left for the people you care about
Join the waitlist - I’ll email you when enrollment opens in late November.
Accessibility is baked in. Don’t let cost (sliding scale), care work (flexible participation), or social anxiety (we’re all dorks) keep you out.
with you,
Ashia
PS: Is it just me or is this you too? Leave a comment:
This month in the Sharecast, we’re talking about navigating uncertainty — being okay-ish while preparing for a future you can’t control.
I’m sharing a short, no-bullshit framework to stay grounded through chaos. Paid supporters and Luminary Braintrust folks, find the Sharecast link below.
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