Greetings from the darkest pit in the vitamin D-deprived days of winter in Seattle!
Even when it’s light, which it rarely is, it’s not actually bright. It’s just dim. The sunshine is like prison food—of terrible quality and inadequate portions.
And still might (a)!
Depressing days. Go ahead, lean into that self-pity. Go deep. It’s a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad time of year! Savor it. And sure, tomorrow will be brighter— but only by a few seconds. You’re not going to notice the difference for weeks. Quite honestly, when the rate of improvement is this miniscule, you should probably just give up hope.
Just kidding! It doesn’t matter if you hope for it or not, notice it or not. The sun will come back. You just have to wait, and find pleasure in the subtly and relentlessness of change.
Now that we’ve got at least one sunshine metaphor out of the way, here’s the Sunshine Communications news of the year:
If you give a mouse a cookie…
In 2021, I thought being executive director for the Chronic Disease Coalition would be a short-term project. Ha! Instead, I got deeply enmeshed in the work of patient-centered advocacy. This summer, the board evolved the organization’s structure, and I took on more comprehensive administrative, strategic and operational responsibilities. While re-orgs are tough, the Coalition is in great place now. We get to build and innovate on an already-strong foundation, and that is really exciting.
There have also been unexpected ripple effects. I expected the changes to the organization, the team and my time, of course. But what surprised me was 1) how the work suddenly became an exciting, creative challenge, and 2) how that led to other creative changes in work and life.
…they’re going to want to learn about cookies…
You don’t know what you don’t know, and my immediate priority was finding and filling gaps in my knowledge base. The UW had the solution: a certificate in nonprofit management. I just finished the first quarter and it was exactly what was needed—a strong and relevant reading list, manageable homework and provocative weekly conversations. It’s so good to be in a learning environment again, I’m really looking forward to the next two quarters.
…and then they’re going to experiment with cookies…
The re-org pushed my mindset from productive (do more work) to creative (redesign the work). I looked at all the different parts of our operations to find administrative simplifications, better workflows, new strategies and new mix of experts.
Did we get to the “right” answers? Time will tell, but this I know: The shift from “do more” to “do different” helped me solve real, practical work problems; it also helped me have more fun. There are a thousand HBR articles (b) more authoritative than I am, but I’m finally starting to trust that all this really does work. Key components for me have been:
- a rested and relaxed brain
- making art (c) and having fun (d)
- less self-consciousness and pre-judgement
- learning from a variety of thinkers and industries
- a supportive community
- letting go of things that don’t work
- that rest stuff again
The Coalition is not Sunshine’s only client, and that evolution in education and approach benefited everyone.
…and then they’re going to want to share cookies…
For example, this year, the Association of Public Hospital Districts let me do work that was near and dear to my heart.
AWPHD’s mission is to raise the visibility of public hospital districts within their communities, and they provided a variety of tools to their members to do that. One of the resources they made available was a Sunshine project focused on message development and community building. I spent more than 100 hours with individual PHD leaders, staff and commissioners from 10 districts, and we identified practical and efficient ways they could connect better to their communities.
By spending time with each district and cross-pollinating ideas across the state, AWPHD helped members develop strong and consistent messages. It was a great service for an association to provide; it was also a great challenge for me. I get a huge kick out of working with PHDs—what they do is incredible—and it was just plain fun to collaborate with Matthew Ellsworth in meeting member needs. I’m excited we’re going to continue this work in 2025.
…and help other people make cookies…
(Don’t worry, the cookie analogy is almost over!)
I really lucked out with getting to work with different people and teams. One of my continuing joys is when LundFaucett includes me in projects. Together, we’ve worked hard to support local government and nonprofit staff members to develop their communication skills and prepare for complex situations. It’s sometimes hard to fund staff training, but writing and presenting are essential tools for both organizations and individuals. Good communication is also an essential part of public accountability. Media training is uniquely important for public agencies, IMHO. It isn’t about obfuscation— quite the opposite. It’s about giving good information to the public, where they’ll see it.
Being able to work with LuFa to provide those skills is incredibly rewarding. The challenges are great, but the camaraderie is even better.
…and then everyone will want some peace and quiet so they can eat cookies.
I am a big believer in taking this week as a dead week. We know the days will get longer and brighter. There’s nothing to do now but wait and fuel up on sleep, hope, blankets and love. It’s a better way to start the year.
If you’re looking for something to do today, I learned from Instagram (e) that this solstice is a particularly good one for manifesting. We’re supposed to take Saturday to let go of old things, and then take Sunday to invite good, new things in. Maybe not science-driven, but it sounds nice.
So there you go! Everything I learned this year, a few things I borrowed (f) and a few things I made up completely. With that, I wish you a bright and happy New Year!
And always… onward!
Mary Kay
December 18, 2024: On the Orcas Island ferry with AWPHD, on the way to talk to a public hospital district board of commissioners.
(a) Have you seen Remembering Gene Wilder? Treat yourself to it. It’s an outstanding movie for over the holidays.
(b) https://hbr.org/topic/subject/creativity
(c) I’ve always liked a nice craft on a rainy day, but I did get a little carried away with this “creative mindset” thing. Paint. Glitter. Glitter paint. Watercolor. Watercolor pencils. Stencils. 37 brush-tip pens. If you received a hand-made solstice card, I must really trust you to be kind! LOL If you want one, tell me and I’ll send one.
(d) Took some trips this year: New Orleans. Mobile. Chicago. D.C. Saw a lot of bands. Bought some art. Next year goal: more theater. More Dina Martina.
(e) Algorithms are wild. This election season, I replaced pundits with astrologers in my social media feeds. As a result, I don’t know what happened on election day, but I can tell you that Pluto is finally out of Capricorn, which is a huge relief for cardinal signs who have been living under a dark cloud since 2008. We’re about to start the best 20 years of our lives, so you might want to stand back.
(f) A sample of this year’s inspirational stickie notes:
- Let us remember what Vasudeva, the ferryman, said to Siddhartha along the banks of the Ganges. He said, “Listen better.”
- Solve for today.
- Don’t fight back. Fight forward.
- Existential crises may only be scheduled after exercise, nutrition, hydration, and a nap.
- Live your life through the windshield—not the rearview mirror.