TLDR: I’m building a skateboarding and art-based after-school program called Skate & Create. We officially launch in August at the start of the new school year, but we have our first event on June 27th, in just a few short weeks. We are asking for help to fund the launch. I hope you’ll consider contributing and help us spread the word.
Optimism in Action
Creation is the ultimate form of optimism.
It’s not that you need to be optimistic to sit down and create. Rather, building something new—birthing it into the world—is to align yourself with possibility. Commitment through action is like a sorcerer’s incantation, summoning positive forces to the surface of the bubbling soup of infinite possible outcomes.
Cynicism festers from the observer’s perch. Movement toward something that you want to exist in the world keeps your eyes on the horizon. You’re too concerned with your next step to worry about the potential for failure or worse, obscurity. Forward progress, no matter how slow, blurs out cynical visions. At least it did for me.
I’ve written a lot about how the world could be better. How our thoughts and words affect our mental framing. How education could better serve kids. How overprotection has the opposite effect.
But after years of theorizing, and holding onto in the cynicism that is always within arms reach when you write cultural critique, I’m finally doing something about it.
My wife Marika and I are building Skate & Crate, a skateboarding and art after-school program. It will offer kids more freedom and creative expression than school and more autonomy and self-reliance than organized sports. Hidden beneath the fun, creativity, and community is an arena where kids will learn to safety navigate risk.
The more we have committed to building this program, the more our community has risen up to help. Minutes into our first meeting, the local school district approved the program. The district then introduced us to several city officials who immediately offered us the opportunity to fundraise and showcase our program at a local event. We’ve launched a crowd-funding campaign to help us fund this first event in a few weeks and found dozens of friends, family, and distant acquaintances eager to contribute.
Where we thought we’d meet gatekeepers, we’ve found allies. Where we thought we’d meet skeptics, we’ve found cheerleaders and donors.
The last few months have been one of the most life-affirming periods of my life. In taking action, in aligning ourselves to a solution to a problem we see (however small at first), we’ve sent up a beacon to summon the forces that will help us get there.
I can still dig up my cynical view of education when search for it, but now I know that the world is filled with people who share my vision and are excited to help.
I used to think that optimism was a disposition. Some people are wired with a little more. We can all be more optimistic by tuning our attention to positive potential futures. These are both true. But now I see that optimism is mostly a by-product of action.
The Details
Skate & Create is a mobile, modular skatepark and art studio that will set up at a different elementary school campus (or two) each day of the week.
Every day our kids will work together to construct a unique skate environment. We'll provide skateboards and safety gear to those who don't have their own and all of the art and building supplies for our various creative projects. In addition to learning new skate tricks, kids will also have the chance to create their own custom skateboard decks and t-shirts and build and paint our ramps. Each campus will paint a unique mural to be displayed on our equipment trailer, so that they will see their art driving around town!
The Launch Event
We will be part of the X Games opening party in downtown Ventura on Thursday, June 27th. Our little park and art studio will be set up for skaters of all levels to skate and create their own custom skateboard decks and t-shirts.
We need your help
We are beyond grateful for contributions to our GoFundMe. No amount is insignificant, even donations of 20 or 30 dollars add up to be incredibly helpful!
Whether you decide to donate or not, you can help us by spreading the word Skate & Create. Please forward this email, follow Skate & Create on Instagram, and tell your friends and family about the program.
Finally, if you want to follow along as we build and launch this program, please subscribe here:
I’m so honored to finally share this project with you all. You haven’t heard from me in two months because my head and heart have been focused on this build.
I’m excited to be coming to you more often to share the lessons and mistakes in building this business (not to mention, to share all the regular essay I’ve still been writing but never readied for publishing).
Thank you!
Justin
Congrats Justin! This is so exciting.