What’s the point of art when everything feels like it’s on fire?

In this episode of Dreamspace Dispatch, Niki explores why writing and creativity are not luxuries during hard times — they are memory, resistance, and proof that we were here.

From water heater disasters and winter rituals to Black History Month reflections and creative activism, this episode weaves together cozy grounding and urgent truth. We talk about:

• Why art is survival — not indulgence
• Writing as resistance and memory
• Sustainable ways to participate if you can’t be on the front lines
• How creators can use their platforms ethically
• Black disabled writers whose work deserves your attention
• And one small act of creative resistance you can take this month

Featuring a Dreamspace Weather Report, Ink & Income, Letters from Thimble, and a quiet Sol to Soul reflection.

If the world feels heavy right now, this episode is your soft place to land — and your reminder that your voice still matters.

✨ All links, resources, and ways to connect are below.

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📚 Authors & Books Mentioned

• Leroy F. Moore Jr. — Black Disabled Art History 101
• Kenny Fries — In the Province of the Gods
• Johnnie Lacy — Essays & oral histories (Center for Independent Living movement)
• Lateef McLeod — A Declaration of a Body of Love
• James Baldwin — The Fire Next Time, Notes of a Native Son
• Audre Lorde — Sister Outsider, The Black Unicorn
• bell hooks — All About Love, Ain’t I a Woman?, Teaching to Transgress
• Alice Walker — In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens, The Color Purple
• Maya Angelou — I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
• Michelle Obama — Becoming
• Robin DiAngelo — White Fragility

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🎬 Films & Documentaries Mentioned

• 13th — Directed by Ava DuVernay
• The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson
• Crip Camp

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🛍️ Independent Black-Owned Online Bookstores

Supporting independent Black-owned bookstores helps keep literary ecosystems thriving beyond algorithmic retail giants.

Here are a few wonderful online options:

• MahoganyBooks — Focused on books written for, by, or about the African diaspora
• The Lit. Bar — Independent Bronx bookstore offering online ordering
• Loyalty Bookstores — Community-centered bookstore with curated online collections
• Brain Lair Books — Black-owned indie with online ordering and strong social justice selections

Many also partner with Bookshop.org if you prefer that platform but want to direct proceeds intentionally.