It’s been around three years since Riley Hanson and I began working on Include Better together. Riley moved on to other projects some time ago, but I’ve continued working part-time on IB. This little LLC (which will hopefully grow up to be a benefit corporation someday) is how I give talks and workshops on issues of inclusion and addressing marginalizations (sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, etc.).
It’s worth noting that I still most frequently give the Impostor Syndrome Workshop, at home and abroad, which has expanded over the years from a thirty minute talk to four hours of presentation, discussion, and skills practice via exercises. In my defense, a university (whose name I am contractually obligated not to mention) asked if I could expand to four hours in order to fill their half-day time slot. I was thrilled, developed five additional pages of exercises, and have found it difficult to look back. The Impostor Syndrome Workshop is arguably the most fun of the workshops we offer, so I’m always pleased to give it.
Include Better’s big news this week is that we’re hiring a part-time administrative assistant for me, too! I’m really excited to figure out who’s going to join the team. I used to believe that slow growth of a company was a sign that it was going in the wrong direction or someone wasn’t working hard enough. With more perspective now, I think that it’s been really good for Include Better to move forward slowly. A steady pace has allowed for really thoughtful decisions and inspired collaborations that we might otherwise have missed or been passed by on.
Speaking of inspired collaborations, I just need to boast for a moment about our logo. Robin Scott is a dear friend, but she’s also a truly gifted artist. She created our logo last year, and I am still thrilled by it.
What else? I’ve got a total of 28 projects currently on various burners, but here’s a partial list:
- Co-editing Recognize Fascism
- Impostor syndrome research
- Editing services for friends writing (mostly SFF) in English as a second language
- Board member for International Pronouns Day (coming right up, October 16th!)
- Translation work with my friend Su Dan
- Continued work on the Chinese science fiction timeline project
- Work for the Future Affairs Administration
- Writing my own fiction
- Volunteering for various fandom conventions and projects
- Learning Spanish
- Gardening
It’s too early to talk about several other projects on my list, but common themes are intersectional feminism, international cooperation, inclusion efforts, and science fiction/fantasy. Those who know me are shocked, I’m sure.
If you’re looking to bring Include Better into your school or company, don’t let this list discourage you! I keep a busy calendar, but try to make sure I give at least a workshop a month, and sometimes present as many as three workshops a week during the busy season. I make time. I schedule aggressively in order to make the most of my time. Get in touch, and let’s see if we can put you on the calendar. 🙂
Crystal Huff 