Post 36: Grateful for the Spiderweb of Connection 🕸️

Thankful for the legacy of disabled ancestors like Alice Wong, for connection with other creatively-minded disabled folks, and for YOU! And come to the Zoom hangout Dec 14th!

A four photo collage. Top left: Gaelynn Lea is smiling with the late disability activist Alice Wong at their first meeting in San Francisco back in 2018. Top right: Gaelynn is smiling with the late disability activist Judy Heumann at their first meeting in Washington, DC back in 2017. Bottom left: Gaelynn Lea is smiling with the disabled singer-songwriter Amy Abts at their show together last weekend.Bottom right: Gaelynn Lea is smiling with the disabled pastor, Laura Cannata, after speaking and playing at Laura’s church last weekend.

Hello, Friends!

I hope this message finds you well... Time is flying indeed! It is somehow already the last half of November, and the holidays are once again upon us. I hope that you are able to savor the unique delights of the season, enjoy the company of loved ones, and meet the needs of your community in some way, no matter how small it may be. Just a reminder that 50% of my Bandcamp sales through December 31st will be donated to Second Harvest Northland, which is Northeastern Minnesota’s main food bank.

On Thanksgiving, Paul and I are having dinner at my parents’ with my three siblings and their kids, which should be both fun and delicious. I’m secretly hoping for snow, to legitimize the Christmas music I’ve been blasting in the apartment for the past few weeks (poor Paul)... I can never wait until December to commence the festivities!

SUBSTACK ZOOM HANGOUT DECEMBER 14TH AT 2PM CENTRAL

Before I go any further, I want to let you know that on December 14th we are having a Substack Zoom Hangout, available for paid subscribers! I have come to really love and look forward to these sessions, as the conversations are always deeply fulfilling, loving, and just plain FUN in a way that’s hard to describe if you haven’t been before. It’s a kind and welcoming bunch, so don’t be afraid to check it out if you’ve never attended one before! Sunday, December 14th at 2pm Central Time (8pm in the UK).

We’ll be talking about our favorite holiday traditions, our favorite (easy or hard!) festive recipes, and sharing our hopes for the New Year. Zoom captions will be enabled by default, but if you need ASL interpretation or CART captioning to fully participate, please let Gaelynn know before December 7th by sending her a message here.

If you are a paid subscriber, you’ll see the Zoom link at the bottom of this message. Not a subscriber yet? It’s never too late to join! Your subscription helps to support my creative work, and cover the costs of things like ASL at my online events. I currently have 80 paid subscribers to my Substack, and I am deeply grateful to each of you!

GRATITUDE FOR THE LIVES OF DISABLED ANCESTORS

Late on Friday night, I was sad to learn about the passing of Alice Wong, a fierce and groundbreaking disability activist from the Bay area, who died at the age of 51. Alice was the creator of the Disability Visibility Project (and several books). She collected a huge number of diverse stories and pieces of wisdom from the disability community. She did everything in her power to get these disabled stories into the mainstream and to preserve them for the future. She introduced so many people to the concept of disability justice, and educated them in how to do better. We didn’t know each other well, but I’m grateful I got to meet her and have a chat during one of my tours in California. Her work opened me up to perspectives I had never considered before and helped me to think more intentionally when it comes to diversity, inclusion and access.

My heart goes out the close friends and family members who are mourning her loss, and to everyone in the disability community who is feeling adrift right now. The world has lost a great light. If you’ve never heard of Alice before, do yourself a favor take some time to get acquainted with her writing and her important disability work!

I keep thinking about how activists like Alice and Judy Heumann did such a great service to humanity not only because of their political advocacy, but because they uplifted and connected so many people during their time on this earth. Alice’s books and interviews (and Judy’s YouTube show / life in general) helped me to realize just how many other cool disabled people there are out there, doing good work. Real, live people I can learn from, meet in person or online, or even befriend! People like Alice and Judy helped to weave a great spiderweb of disability connection and support, and one way we can honor their work is by continuing to connect and uplift each other.

GRATEFUL FOR DISABILITY CONNECTION IN MY OWN LIFE

As it always happens, we carry joy and sorrow simultaneously. The same night I found out about Alice’s death, I was playing a truly magical show in Aitkin, Minnesota with fellow disabled singer-songwriter / visual artist

Amy Abts

. I loved getting to hear her sing and connecting with her. Check out her music + visual art, and support her work!

Later that weekend, I played and spoke at Robbinsdale Parkway UCC. I was invited by Rev. Laura Cannata, a disabled pastor and awesome advocate in the church. I loved listening to her sermon about disability theology, and it made me want to learn more about that fascinating field. I feel a kinship whenever I hang out with cool disabled folks like Laura and Amy, who see the beauty, creativity, and possibility in difference.

I am realizing that I feel the most vibrant, energized, and ultimately useful when I am creating and sharing art and ideas, and connecting with and uplifting individuals who are working for positive change. I, too, want to be a connector, a weaver of the web.

FOUR LINKS TO SHARE, IN THE SPIRIT OF GRATITUDE

1) How to Overcome Creative Blocks: Recently I gave a keynote speech at Revolve CC, and I met the speaker and artist Kendyll Hillegas, who lives with chronic illness. She was so insightful and kind + I loved her wisdom on dealing with creative blocks:

2) Accessing Disabled Joy: I met the mindfulness educator Ruth Zanoni through an online writing retreat in the heart of the pandemic, and I am grateful we’ve stayed connected ever since. She sent me a link for a Disability Dharma series led by Zac Krohn. It’s called “Accessing Disabled Joy” and it meets every two weeks and covers a wide variety of topics, like mindfulness and compassion. It sounds like an amazing opportunity to connect with other disabled spiritual seekers. Register here for 2026.

3) If You’re Tired of Bad News, Read This: This Substack post by

James Lucas

really resonated with me — not just because the stories did indeed make me feel good, but also because they were a clarion reminder that individual actions really do matter.

4) #LogLife: Paul found this video on the Perfect Duluth Day website and I’ve got to say, it makes my heart so happy. When things are dark, remember there’s some part of you that is always wild and free and untouched, like these majestic woodland beasts:

That’s it for now, Friends! Remember, if you want to attend this Sunday’s Zoom Hangout, get the link below by becoming a paid subscriber. Thank you so much for your support, and for being part of my life. Wishing you a wonderful holiday season!

With Love and Thanksgiving,

Gaelynn Lea

P.S. GENERAL LINKS AND REMINDERS:

• Strings Magazine wrote an article about Music From Macbeth, read it HERE.

• Pre-order my memoir It Wasn’t Meant to Be Perfect HERE.

• Purchase a signed copy of my memoir from Premiere Collectibles HERE.

• Download / stream my latest album, Music From Macbeth at my Bandcamp HERE.

• Download / stream my holiday album (Deepest Darkness, Brightest Dawn) HERE.

• Remember, 50% of all album sales on my Bandcamp ‘til December 31 go to Second Harvest Food Bank—so get festive (Yuletide or Macbeth-style) for a cause!

P.P.S. ZOOM LINK FOR SUBSTACK HANGOUT IS BELOW:

Get the Zoom link for the Substack Hangout Session on December 14th by becoming a paid subscriber today—your subscription helps support my work! Zoom link below: