Habari gani, folks?
Today’s principle is ujamaa — cooperative economics. I’ll admit that my relationship with this principle has become increasingly tenuous. This stage of capitalism requires increasingly direct appeals for money just to survive, and it feels like we’ve been hoodwinked into cannibalizing our interests to ensure cash keeps flowing toward the rich and away from us. We’re learning that even “benign” middlemen like Patreon and other platforms meant to give independent artists a way to make a living aren’t as stable as they should be. New rules, fees, and frameworks can come at any time.
Still, there is fantastic work out there being done every day by artists of color in any medium you’d care to follow. I wanted to highlight my last commission from Devora Johnson!
She drew this delightful holiday icon for me! It’s a bit late due entirely to my lack of coordination, but I’ll be updating my social media accounts with this soft boi. Thanks so much Dev!
Dev is open for commissions if you’re interested! Contact her through your social media of choice, and tell her Jakebe sent you! *finger guns*
Tomorrow, we talk about nia, or purpose. Man, a pretty deep one. See you Saturday!
From the Desk of Jakebe T. Rabbit 