The Do Nothing Society is a project for all people meant to create community out of thin air, on the basis of ✨nothing✨— without productivity, consumerism, a skill barrier, or some vague expectation of what you should be doing. The hope is that through embodying rest, play, and creativity right now, we can create the types of healthy interactions we dream of, to live in that better world—even if it’s just for a day :)
How do we create healthy communities in the midst of so much pain? I believe it’s through an intentional practice, that with practice we can learn to be better with eachother.
🍓 Locally in Arcata, California 🍓
The Do Nothing Society started as a weekly pop-up free public space at Redwood Park last summer. I brought hammocks, blankets, books, art supplies, fun things, and lots of snacks & fizzy waters and invited people to come hang together. As the weather worsened during the winter we still wanted to host events so my brothers and I decided to open up our home to the public, to both regulars and strangers. We’ve had potlucks, bonfires, art/game nights, holiday parties—all within the intentional container of being curious+playful+loving together, and of resting our minds :)
As of June 2023 we’ve still been hosting little events at our house, we’ve done some park and river days recently, and we’re planning some summer camp campouts for river season 🌈
Check out the instagram to help determine the next meeting.
news
Why do nothing?
It can seem counterintuitive to do nothing during an apocalypse, when you’re in the middle of a sea of crises and everything seems like it’s on fire and it feels like the whole world needs fixing every minute of every day. It feels wrong to sit and take a nap, it feels wrong not to scurry from place to place trying to do *something*, anything to help. But there are real and important reasons to stop doing.
What to do in an apocalypse?
What can we do *today*? How can we save the world as only one person?
~ some ideas ~ including taking our money out of big banks, paying cash when we can, growing an edible garden, collecting seeds,
support through
the little death cleaning shop
I’ve primarily funded things myself, paying for for snacks, games, art supplies, meals, website, etc out of pocket because I believe in this project. If you feel called, plz support the schemes through clothes, hats, beanies, and stickers :) it goes toward future events and the ultimate dream of making an enduring community space ❣️
Most stickers in the little store are truly free, though they’re made by a person with finite resources so they aren’t infinite! It’d be great to limit free options to one per person so I can accommodate more people! :)
A few things you could🍄 spend your time doing~
hammocking
napping
playing games
reading
cloud watching
journaling
petting dogs
talking together
taking a bit of space
silent meditation
yoga
____? what do you want to do? what are your dreams for the world?
🍄 Doing Nothing in a Taoist sense, the art of effortless living. Letting your mind wander, experimenting with paints/games, learning/reading just for your own sake, watching the wind change the leaves in the trees, chatting about dreams and wishes. Truly free time, the kind we had in little chunks as small children in kindergarten, the kind that has nearly disappeared in modern adult life.
“It will be said that while a little leisure is pleasant, men would not know how to fill their days if they had only four hours’ work out of the twenty-four. In so far as this is true in the modern world it is a condemnation of our civilization; it would not have been true at any earlier period. There was formerly a capacity for light-heartedness and play which has been to some extent inhibited by the cult of efficiency. The modern man thinks that everything ought to be done for the sake of something else, and never for its own sake.”
— Bertrand Russell, In Praise of Idleness, 1932
Updates on future events and giveaways can be found most easily on the instagram @thedonothingsociety 🌈
“You cannot buy the revolution. You cannot make the revolution. You can only be the revolution. It is in your spirit, or it is nowhere.”
— Ursula Le Guin
If you have any questions or want to collaborate on doing nothing, feel free to contact me :)
