Stephanie McMillan is one of our favorite artists and activists in the Lifeboat.

In her recent newsletter are some simple yet strong ideas you might be able to adapt to your situation, so we're sharing her inspiration with you. Seeds make the best, most inspiring gifts! ~ Ed.

Hi, Everybody!

It was great to come together with others at the "Stand Up/Speak Out" community roundtable discussion on Human Rights last month. There was a real sense of connection and solidarity as we connected in rich conversation about the need to protect and enlarge the rights of all, and what that might mean to each of us.

 I'm working with a small group of local artists, educators and library staff to organize these events. Our purpose is to support one another, find allies, share resources, and open pathways for possible common actions.

We're doing this every month for a year -- everyone is welcome to join us for respectful and constructive discussion. The next one will be focused on Civic Engagement:  Saturday, November 15, 11am-12:30 pm

Stand Up/Speak Out Community Roundtable Discussion
Broward Main Library, Bienes Conference Room, 6th Floor
100 S. Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale

For a list of all topics and full description:  https://broward.libnet.info/event/14396480

Meanwhile, here's what I've been working on art-wise:

I was invited to paint a mural at Sunrise Middle School, to cheer up the gray walls surrounding a lovely small-and-growing food forest-garden there. Photo below (I include myself for scale).

And currently, I'm assembling 2,000 packs of pigeon pea seeds, plus 2,000 information booklets about growing, harvesting and eating pigeon peas, for the South Florida Hunger Coalition. They're going to include these in bags of vegetables they're giving out for Thanksgiving. Pigeon peas are wonderful: easy to grow in South Florida, and they produce a lot of tasty high-protein food. Hopefully these seeds can help to strengthen community resilience. 

Hope to see you Saturday!

Thank you and best wishes,

Stephanie

Author

 Love the Living; Fight the Machine!

Stephanie McMillan’s art reaches toward positive social transformation so all can thrive. After 25 years as an award-winning and widely-published cartoonist, producing editorial cartoons, comic strips, children’s books and graphic novels, she now paints and draws. She has two main bodies of work, best viewed in her two online shops:  1) political & spiritual themes   and 2) plants and wildlife of South Florida

Find her at Stephanie McMillan | stephaniemcmillan.com | Instagram @stephaniemcmillan.art | and stephaniemcmillan.org