Author: kel
Breaking Up with Car Culture
Talking with Aviva Davis about why she won’t drive a car. // Our culture is pretty obsessed with cars—not just as machines, but as personal necessities for getting from point A to point B. But it hasn’t always been that way. For most of history, people got around just fine by walking, biking, or using…
Zero Songs
An afternoon at Canzine led to an unexpected connection with Blaise Moritz, a prolific zinester whose work blends abstract art and introspective storytelling. I first had the pleasure of meeting Blaise Moritz in the fall of 2023 at Toronto’s Canzine. We were both vending and happened to share a table at the event. We spent…
Homecoming: Belonging in the place where we live
Meghan Sheffield and Jessica Baitley share their experiences on homelessness and belonging to place in their contribution to the first issue of the Novitas Magazine. The first time I saw a tent being used for survival in my neighbourhood, it was among the trees on a high bank over the creek that runs at the…
On the Provocation of Permaculture Design
Liz Postlethwaite explores the intentions of permaculture practice and how it has effected her life in her contribution to the first issue of the Novitas Magazine. Permaculture design is a tricky beast to pin down. It means lots of things to lots of people, but to me, I see it as being broken down into…
A Crip Anti Capitalist Future
Maria Epp’s contribution to the Novitas Magazine exploring chronic pain, post-capitalism, and how we might do it together. I can’t do the “clocking in” for anyone, not even my kids. I mean I did, technically. I was present. I probably did a lot of stuff. But I was also really, really tired all the time…
Find Some Tables And Start
Lane Clark’s contribution to the Novitas Magazine sharing her experience at Project Knot Work Project Knot Work was born as we sat around tables. Our kitchen tables. Coffee shops. Hand-made tables in log cabins. The plastic tables of library study rooms. Picnic tables in our backyards. Project knot work was born as we fostered relationships.…
The Magic of Making
Chatting with Anna Hewitt about using creativity as a way to connect to the world. // Too often, we’re told that our individual actions are too small to make a difference in the face of global challenges like climate collapse and late-stage capitalism. While there’s truth to this, I believe we are still called to…
Art Outside of Capitalism
An exploration with Blaise Moritz into the motivations, intentions, and reception of art as political and a conduit for cultural inquiry. // The role of art in our culture and society is a complex topic, to be sure. Likewise, the topic of personal creativity and the desire to create art is multifaceted. If I have…
Natural Learning and Nature Connection
Kim Simpson from Free Spirit Forest and Nature School talks about trusting the process, making spaces for kids to really show up, and fostering skills that help kids beyond a formal education. // When I started writing this blog years ago, I wrote a lot about the education system. As an unschooling parent of two…
Anti-capitalist Existence in a Capitalist System
Helen Tremethick shares her experience, insight, and advice on how to navigate the system without losing hope. // What does it mean to thrive as someone who is opposed to capitalism but still has to exist in a capitalist system? This question is one that my friend and colleague, Helen Tremethick, has spent a lot…