now that we’ve got our historical context out of the way– let’s reset the table. who’s yearning for love? who’s feeling audacious? the revolution wants to come, will you let it? 💦

philosophy has been a great grounding tool for me as a woman who feels everything. i’m a sensitive pragmatist and romantic poet-existentialist, what can i say? philosophy remedies my intense emotions with the slow precision of critical thinking, crafting arguments, and ability to hold multiple truths.

HOWEVER [dramatically animates hands] there’s no amount of thinking or theorizing that will truly liberate us until we practice in community. i don’t believe real change happens by preaching, policing others or posting infographics on stories– it comes from our ability to resonate with others deeply so it creates a wave that disrupts first through chaos and eventually finds harmony.

Revolutionary movements do not spread by contamination but by resonance.… An insurrection is not like a plague or a forest fire — a linear process which spreads from place to place after an initial spark. It rather takes the shape of a music, whose focal points, though dispersed in time and space, succeed in imposing the rhythms of their own vibrations, always taking on more density."

― The Invisible Committee, The Coming Insurrection

revolution happens when you find others who quite litcherally, MATCH YOUR FREAK-QUENCY. so without further adieu, introducing my fellow baddie azn’s:

👩🏽‍🍳 Wendy “the wise” Zeng, close-to-the-source chef & my favorite contrarian. ♊️

🧠 Christina, the ever prolific storyteller, writing about all things culture x culinary x cannabis at 🌸

last but not least, the brilliant world-building multi-hyphenate, drip queen of my dreams 💦 DJ GRACE KTOWN ❇️🚨🔊

revolution by resonance brought me to these incredible women 🌀🎵 there’s levels to our shared frequency: kids of immigrants, over achievers, recovering people pleasers, chronic yearners, drug dabblers, super strategic, highly intentional, full of whimsy & the spirit of excellence, booty-shakin bad azn TYPE BEAT.

‘Intention’ is the community word for ‘strategy’ 🤲🏽🧠

– chef wendy “the wise” zeng during this trip!!

we joined forces to take the skills we sharpened in order to survive corporate america, and apply it to new ways of being, thinking, working and gathering. it doesn’t take more than two scrolls on your phone to feel helpless in this dying empire we find ourselves in. we gather with these intentions– to name our grief, to celebrate diasporic cultures, and to manifest our collective dissent with joy & compassion.

james baldwin said to love america is to criticize her perpetually. as someone who holds so much love, i know that thinking critically is just as important.

“I love America more than any other country in the world and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.”

– James Baldwin

let’s bring it back to bad asians in big bear. day 1, we ATE GOOD and settled in. to my surprise we even hit the hot tub, or the “plot tub” cuz you know what time we on.

day 2 we took a micro hit of LSD, in the form of "trip tacs” courtesy of the chef. while we got ready for the day, business calls and other client projects trickled in and were handled with a quickness. the LSD hit around 1pm. that’s when christina pulled out her laptop and we soft locked the programming for our collaboration event.

the skies were clear and the air was crisp. snow was melting all around us. countless smoke and dance circles later, we managed to document the creative energy flowing through us and those cabin walls– philosophical riffs, a B2B chef x DJ set, and obligatory vibe/fit checks.

we wrapped the day making wontons 🥟🥁 mocking up flyer designs, and playing intimate board games while sipping the finest tea from wendy’s beautifully crafted tea set and ceramic cups.

you’re telling me that plotting for the revolution could be this sexy, soft and safe? hell yeah. i’m taking notes from christina’s veggie garden, wendy who literally went wild boar hunting days before this trip, and grace who springs into action just as smooth as her DJ blends (she literally fought a fire at wendy’s last event😂 IYKYK).

if you’re in LA (or wanna pull up 🌴) save the date 4/18. there’s more of this energy to explore. we literally had to go do drugs in the mountains to think about how we’d bring it all to you. find me on insta where i’ll be sharing more info on how to join us 🤸🏽‍♀️

xoxo,
existential shawty

DISCLAIMER: THIS CONTENT IS INTENDED FOR STORYTELLING PURPOSES ONLY. ANY MENTION OF SUBSTANCE USE IS PURELY CREATIVE EXPRESSION & NOT ENDORSEMENTS OR FACTUAL CLAIMS. MAKE GOOD CHOICES!

READ THE ROOM was born from my incessant yearning to explore ideas. to experience art IRL. to cultivate an intuitive connection to our role in the revolution. to get in my mf’n philosopher bag and make critical thinking sexy (again?)

we are in a historically potent time. i felt this deeply when i started RTR, i still feel it now. from the global awakening to free palestine, to institutions crumbling all around us, to AI slop furthering the dead internet theory. RTR was a portal to feel alive– a space decorated with questions, designed with intention, and filled with a collective desire for change.

so why am i sitting here writing about it, one year later? there’s no good reason that doesn’t end up sounding like an excuse. the truth is, the pace of life is faster than my ability to process, philosophize, & share in a way that feels meaningful. and perhaps that’s all by design. after touching computer all day for money, i simply want to throw my screens out the window. but if survival in this capitalist system is designed for burnout & dissociation, then spiritually, i’m obligated to protest this.

i know i do myself and my community a disservice when i don’t create consistently. i know that showing up imperfectly is better than not showing up at all. in the spirit of protest & remembering the reason i started RTR–returning to my writing practice feels like combatting our current culture of fast/mindless/convenient with slow/intentional/committed to the arts.

as the overthinking philosopher that i am, i didn’t know where to begin with the snowball of transformations that ensued after RTR vol 1. but i forget that sharing stories does not require the entire book. so here’s to getting that first page down 📖

if you’re interested in philosophy, counterculture, & talking shit as an art form, please subscribe & tell ya friends. excited to explore & share this medium with y’all.

xoxo,
existential shawty

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