Hi, Hackers,
Hope everybody is well, teaching and learning in classes, getting inspired, and making cool stuff!
As we’re working on bringing in and orienting new members, and getting everybody situated on the new payment program, Neon, we are also starting some longer-term work on being more intentional with our systems for healthy conflict in the space.
If you’re uncomfortable having a disagreement in the shop, asking for what you need, or navigating an issue with another member or with the board, you’re not alone - it takes skills and practice to get to productive, growth-oriented disagreement. We’d like to build our skills in this area as a community.
You might get an email from Harvard Mediation & Negotiation Clinic asking for your participation in an interview process, so you can help tell the story of this community and how conflicts have helped to build or split the community. Or you can show up at our Oct 7 member meeting (7:30 on Zoom) and voice your thoughts - what works about our current process? What’s missing from our handbook? What could an ombuds program look like to support a member having an issue? What hasn’t worked? Where does our community need to grow? Old member or new, your voice is welcome and needed.
As we mentioned earlier in the fall, we went through an application process, and in late August ATXHS was chosen to work with the program. So our law school students, Zach and Joaquin, are reaching out to members and engaged in assessing exactly what we need and will, this fall, be helping us to build a roadmap.
Overdue Greetings from my camping trip in New Mexico, I look forward to being back in the shop later this week. Got to visit Albuquerque’s FUSE makerspace - will post video when I get home. It’s an inspiring space! They work in collaboration with the city’s entrepreneurship and innovation program.
I’ll also share a photo from the Georgia o’Keefe museum, this one display blew me away, she was inspired to sculpture over 20 years by the curve of a Ram’s horn - whispers of the mark she’d make on abstract art starting in 1916 -
Best wishes to all,
Kye
