It’s all about community. It’s all about the people. And I’m reminded, time and time again, of what this work means to people. I was in a meeting recently and a few of my colleagues expressed that their job with Discourse Community Publishing marked the very first time they felt genuinely cared for and supported in their place of work.
That’s what your support means. It’s about great journalism in support of healthier communities, and it’s also about good jobs for talented journalists, in a time where those are increasingly scarce.
This work isn’t easy. Despite our many successes, The Discourse is still a ways off from sustainability and stability.
It’s not really about the stickers, the bookmarks and earrings. But I hope that this offering will serve as a symbol of how much your support means to all of us at The Discourse.
Around this time last year, I bought a crafting machine as a gift to myself. I love the creative process and I love making little meaningful things that bring smiles to the faces of people I care about.
People ask all the time if I’ll start selling the things I make, and I’ve thought about it. But the truth is that crafting is the most fun for me as an act of love and generosity — and it’s in that spirit that I decided to make these thank-you gift packs.
I designed the sticker with a touch of nostalgia for the pre-internet era, and with generous help from sticker consultant Lys Morton (previously with The Discourse Nanaimo, now reporting full time for one of our sister publications, the Revelstoke Mountaineer.)
“As the kids say these days, I would go feral for this sticker,” he said in reaction to an early version of the design. Thanks, Lys! 😍
My colleague Shalu Mehta came up with the suggestion of a Discourse bookmark — a perfect, useful gift for curious community members. The design was inspired by a young friend of mine named Jayde, who loves books and butterflies. We recently spent an afternoon crafting together, and she found a design for 3-D butterfly bookmarks on TikTok.
The Discourse’s version of the bookmark is inspired by the anise swallowtail, a butterfly that is native to Vancouver Island and western North America. I had started with the iconic monarch butterfly, but thanks to Lys’s recent reporting I now know that monarchs are not native to Vancouver Island, and a different choice would be more suitable!
The earrings are a simple hoop featuring the icon from The Discourse’s logo. I’ve handed out a few pairs to colleagues and friends, and am honestly just so thrilled every time someone is excited to don this symbol of support.
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