Swimming Upstream 2.0

A decade ago, I was obsessed with documentaries exploring climate change, social collapse, the farce of capitalism, etc. It was my go-to activity for about 3 years. I suspect that I was seeking information to substantiate my failing emotional well-being, and I spent that time learning how it was actually my world that was failing me instead of me coming undone.

The problem with documentaries from this period was that they all pointed to problems. The End of Suburbia, Super Size Me, Fahrenheit 9/11, An Inconvenient Truth—the takeaway from all these films was that we are in trouble. Big trouble. The end of each film always seemed to float some loose concept of a solution around that wasn’t really tangible and didn’t leave me feeling particularly hopeful. They all left me with a sense of horror.

I remember when my obsession waned. I clearly remember sitting down to find something to watch and being overcome with total despair. There was no longer a sense of understanding—just all-consuming dread. I wasn’t interested in learning more about the problems. They had been laid out clearly before. Instead, I wanted solutions. Answers. I wanted direction.

For a few years, I very much felt like I was floundering. I started to seek out the roots of all these problems that we are facing as a global society, and the outlook was grim. Most of the issues are rooted in systemic problems: capitalism, colonialism, white supremacy, and patriarchy. Systemic problems that, inconveniently, aren’t really solvable by an individual. Sadly, there is no lifestyle change that I can make that will fix global warming.

I say this facetiously, but honestly, it’s fucking depressing. Being both aware and passionate about these massive, global problems and not being about to do a lick about them is more than enough to plunge anyone into complete and utter depression.

I joined non-profits and volunteered at community events, and this was good because at least there were other people who recognized the enormity of the problems and we could come together and try to find solutions. I was lucky to join the Transition Movement that, years later, looking back, honestly had a lot of the solutions figured out but just didn’t have the means to implement them in a time of late-stage capitalism when so many were struggling to exist. It’s hard to build a collective solution while still mired in a culture that perpetuates the problem.

If I can credit social media and the pandemic with one thing, it’s that they created the perfect storm for folks to start talking about these systemic problems in earnest. People started coming together online to explore not only the root causes but also sharing stories of success and the solutions that I had been so desperately seeking.

Four years later, and I feel like I am starting to see a framework emerge that could lead to solutions. I say framework instead of solutions themselves because it’s more clear than ever that solutions need to be grounded in bio-regionalism, specific to time, place, and culture. This framework is built on the work of so many folks who have been saying the same things for years. I just haven’t been ready to hear them, bogged down in the problems as I was. Here’s what I see:

Community Focus

Centering Indigenous Practice and Knowledge

Deprioritization of Efficiency Under Capitalism

Prioritization of Collective Liberation

Real Participatory Democracy

Humans as Part of Nature

Appropriate Human-Scaled Technology

I could go on. There are so many approaches that I’ve learned about over the last few years that provide guidance and direction, and I feel like I’m ready to take the next steps towards a solutions-focused approach to this ongoing analysis of the world’s biggest problems.

And so we come to the meat of this post: I am rebranding! I know, a small climax. But it’s a little more than just a rebrand.

I’ve had a dream for a year or so to start this journey of finding solutions rather than being stuck in the problems. I have thought about making a print magazine highlighting real-world implementations and solutions to this so-called framework. I’ve thought about starting a podcast and interviewing some of the amazing friends that I’ve met on social media while taking part in this collective learning experience. I’ve thought about shifting away from the personal narrative because I never really like centering myself on this journey, but I didn’t know what other direction to turn. And I think I’m now ready to take that leap.

Part of the roadblock for me was quite pragmatic, actually. If I wanted to start a podcast, I’d have to change my name because there’s a popular socialist podcast called Upstream (a wonderful pod if you’re looking for a critical analysis of capitalism). Just a bit too close to Swimming Upstream. And so, a rebrand. But I honestly couldn’t come up with anything that I even remotely liked that wasn’t already taken on Substack. A problem of our times, to be sure.

At the end of last year, I had the idea of starting a collaborative magazine. It would be solution-focused, sharing stories, art, and commentary on living outside the capitalist paradigm. I reached out to potential co-conspirators. I started looking at publication costs.

And then we realized that we would be moving this year, and everything got put on hold as we started to get our house ready for the market.

But I had gone so far as to create a cool brand for the magazine. I was looking for a term that was the opposite of status-quo. And quite literally, I found my answer based on that thread. Then I realized last night that I could use this brand for the podcast as well!

Introducting: Novitas

Novitas is a Latin word that means "newness" or "novelty." It is derived from the Latin word "novus," which means "new." In English, "novitas" is sometimes used to refer to the quality of being new, fresh, or innovative.

Obviously, this rebrand is more than just a rebrand. It will involve some housekeeping and a shift in direction. I have some work ahead of me.

And here is what I ask of you, dear friends:

1. Please stick around. I’m excited for this next iteration of the Substack, and I hope you are too! It may take me a bit to get my ducks in a row, but I promise to continue creating content that asks all the good questions and hopefully also provides some good solutions.

2. Recommendations please! Who should I reach out to? Who has influenced you in your journey? Who is doing really cool shit that I should know about? Community initiatives, alternative economies, worker-led co-ops, amazing books, podcasts, or articles? This is still very much a journey of learning for me, and I need all the mentors I can handle.

3. If you have the means, please consider a paid subscription to this Substack. The funds really help me know that this work is worth doing and that it provides value to you. If you don’t have the funds but want to support in some other amazing way, please reach out!

Thanks for coming on this journey with me. I recently saw a post on Substack saying, “Make friends, not followers” and I felt it deeply. So many of you have become my long-distance online friends with your comments, care, and connection. I am so grateful to have you here.