Donāt TALK about it, BE about it
Recently I mentioned a little idea thatās been bubbling at the surface, ready to pop out but I was basically š blocking myself.
And by ālittleā idea I mean a big whole thing that I have so many plans for. And by ābubblingā I mean has constantly been on my mind for at least a few years now.
Do I see similar things being launched? Mhm (that damn comparison trap got me again). But Iāve let go of the idea of me being ālateā and stopped stressing over if someone thinks I copied the idea.
Am I worried that no one will pay for it if I charge money for it? Yup. But I donāt think that means it sucks or what I value doesnāt matter. I just have to find the people that are down for it!
Is there still a ton of pressure to make it āperfectā before showing it to people? Oh, definitely. Like diamond-forming amounts of pressure. But Iām way more excited about co-creating with others and getting messy together than wasting time trying to polish it.
Instead of beating myself up for paying for systems and platforms that I never used, Iām embracing the fact that I can start scrappy.
Iām skipping the conventional advice of building a huge audience first (my āaudienceā aka yāall, are a small but mighty group and thatās all that matters to me). Skipping the massive launch planning (for now, which could bite me in the conventional metrics ass but eh). Skipping building the intricate sales funnel (until I find a way that doesnāt feel sleazy or overwhelming).
Iām passionate, eager, and ready to be jamming with yāall so Iām diving in!
Okay, but Laneen, bruh, get to the juicy bits⦠Just tell me what the damn idea is already!Ā
In true philosopher fashion, first a little context.
See, SBLTN is more of a collection of things than one singular thing.
The Studio - Inclusion-centered creative services. Clients usually are entrepreneurs, small businesses, and organizations that are socially-curious or do work related to social impact.
The LabĀ - Inclusive practices and digital accessibility through awareness/education, action, and advocacy
And like those little nesting dolls, there are more layers to The Labā¦
Newsletter (where you are now!) - Come listen! Free digital publication showing how DEI and accessibility relate to art & design as well as to our day-to-day lives. Ask the awkward or hard questions and get curious about lived experiences or perspectives you hadnāt thought of before.
Library - Come learn! Purchase one-off educational materials such as courses, workshops, and digital products.
Community - Come chat and act! A paid membership that helps people to start, and sustain, a long-term practice of digital accessibility and inclusive design. Find answers. Get support. Take action. From office hours to events to resources, together we will co-learn, co-design, and co-create.
Collective - On the horizon... A space centering advocacy through experimental design, community-based organizing, and more!
Wait⦠back up⦠Community? Library?Ā
Yup! The āDigital Accessibility 101ā mini-course is technically ready but visually a mess. My inner designer wonāt let that fly! But also, I want the content to be engaging so people enjoy learning. So in this case, it actually DOES need to be buttoned up (for the sake of quality and not chasing perfection).
While thatās cookingā¦
Iāll be (softly) opening the doors to the SBLTN Community!
Yup, thatās the ~big launch~! š
āWow⦠yet another community⦠coolā¦ā
I know, I know⦠that could be what youāre thinking. I thought that too at first, wondering āwhat makes this different than some random group?ā Honestly, itās my intent. The word ācommunityā has gotten watered down in the online biz world to simply mean āa platform where people gatherā. Itās usually centered on the creator and they are the showrunner.
Thatās the exact OPPOSITE of what I want here. I want to ditch the silos and get back to interdisciplinary co-creating and knowledge sharing. I want people to connect beyond me. They may initially join because of me but I want them to stay for each other and their shared interest or goals. I want it to be a hub for us to pop into each otherās worlds, see how we can support and learn from each other, and for it to be an example of community-in-practice.
I want us to have fun and experience joy!
The nitty gritty about the SBLTN Community
The SBLTN Community helps people to start, and sustain, a long-term practice of inclusion and digital accessibility. Find answers. Get support. Take action. Through community-based education, knowledge-sharing, and valuing lived experiences, together we will co-learn, co-design, and co-create.
š¤ What it is: The living, breathing version of the newsletter. Expect lots of stuff about digital accessibility and sustainable long-term practices, diversity and inclusion, and fun art/design stuff too! Itās a place where āsmallā and messy steps are encouraged because it leads to cumulative impact.
š” Who itās for: Creatives/designers, entrepreneurs/solopreneurs, facilitators, small teams, organizations, students, accessibility specialists⦠basically individuals and small businesses that are socially-curious or whose work is related to social impact/social good. Anyone committed to being a dope ass person through accessibility and inclusion is welcome!
šŖ Whatās inside: I like to mix learning, living, and straight up silliness so what better way to do that than by being in-community with each other?
Chat + Act
Chat Channels
Office Hours + Recaps
Challenges/Sprints
Organizing/Advocacy
Town Halls
... and more
Events
Member Hot-seats, Takeovers, and Spotlights
Workshops + Webinars
Guest Speakers/Posters (There are some cool peeps Iāve been wanting to work with for a HOT minute)
... and more
Resources
Replays
Guides/Downloadables
Tools + Demos/Training
š° How much itāll cost: Itās FREE ninety-nine for anyone who signs up anytime this year (2023). The initial members (āWelcoming Committeeā) join for free because I appreciate yāall taking a chance on me in my little corner of the ānet. I will be making it paid eventually but donāt worry - there will be PLENTY of a heads up before it happens (no one likes an unexpected rent increase, right?).
šŖ When will it open: āMove In Dayā will happen on Sunday, 30 July, because thatās International Friendship Day. Pretty fitting! The link to join will be sent out then and shared on socials.
š Where is it: The community is hosted on Discord. (Trust me, I went in Circles picking a platform so this may change in the future based on the communityās needs. That said, feel free to share if you have any feedback about platforms.)
Building the block
I donāt want a Slack channel just for course students to ask questions. I donāt want a tumbleweed-filled FB group where there are more watchers than contributors. I really want to create an ACNH type vibe (shoutout to my Nintendo Switch peeps). I hope to build a space that feels like your fave coffee/tea shop or familiar corner in the library ā always there and waiting for when you need it, with faces of people you know and enjoy being around.
Iām already having so much fun naming things and seeing how/if in-person experiences can (hopefully) translate to online spaces. Bring snacks and music to the āBlock Partyā where members can meet, mix, and mingle. Join a āTown Hallā where we talk about ways to improve our community and what we think is working. Moderators will be our friendly āNeighborhood Watchā. Tech-bro startup terms, like āfounding membersā, are ditched for more chill, equitable words, like āWelcoming Committeeā.
But you know me, Iāmma keep it 100. This little labor of love is a work-in-progress. Iām starting scrappy and still working out the kinks (get your mind out of the gutter). Iām a fan of transparency so youāll be seeing me change the floorplans of the house as we live in it, trying out new things, and taking in your feedback along the way. (Arenāt we all sick of the fake perfection of social media anyway?) The first month or 2 will likely be slow as everyjuan in Global North is OUTSIDE outside for the Summer. As things pick up, I encourage the āWelcoming Committeeā to lean into co-creation with me š„° Itās not about me going off into a secret corner, building something, then being like āTa-da, I made this for you!ā Itās about shifting from designing FOR people to designing WITH people.
This is OUR community, not MY community.
Okay, well Iām gonna go pace and panic while catastrophizing this whole idea of ālaunch messyā. If the Community isnāt your jam, thatās okay! Iāll still be here in the newsletter and on socials. Swing by anytime.
And remember, done is better than perfect! (Unless youāre a surgeon⦠or an architect⦠or the person that inspects bungee jumping cordsā¦)
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Signing off from the Starship SBLTN,
Laneen (Pronouns: she/they)
Very excited to have received this update and to support this community! š¾š
YOU'RE LAUNCHING THE THING AHHHH!! Proud of you!! And so excited! But you're leaving me hanging?! Is there a way to join or get on a waitlist or anything yet? Or will that come on the 30th? I'M TOO IMPATIENT š