Unlearning: Starting something new

At some point “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” turned into “If you are looking for meaning, start a non-profit.” Many of my friends have founded non-profits or plan to in the future. Heck, I co-founded Sanctuary Collective two years ago. The question is: when do you start something new and when do you support existing structures?

Jamie Boschan is my go-to devil’s advocate. She is always there to ask me “Why?” Whether I am asking straight people to leave discriminatory institutions or promoting entrepreneurship as an act of resistance. Jamie is there to ask “Are you sure that’s the best way forward?” Often times she disagrees with me. I am thankful for that.

It is a human instinct to think that we have (re)invented the wheel. Or that we are just about to. I see this all the time in advocacy, especially around LGBT issues, racism, and poverty. Well-intentioned Type-As who think we are the first ones to ever live simply or protest a war.

On the other hand, my friend Taueret taught me an important lesson years ago: sometimes it is not helpful to continue propping up failing and oppressive institutions. Sometimes the issues, whether they are business mismanagement or systemic sexism, are so entrenched that you will spend all of your energy repairing the system rather than healing the world.

There is a time to leave and a time to stay.

Why unlearn starting something new?

Do you want to be a leader? Your first instinct might be to start something. A leader leads, right? A leader must know how to lead and what she will lead on. Before you start leading, you must learn. In order to lead well, you must know what you are doing. Learn by surrounding yourself with diverse opinions and experiences, learn by listening.

How to unlearn starting something new

In the same way you ask yourself before speaking “Has this been said?”, before starting something new, ask “Has this been done?” If it has, join that movement. Volunteer with that organization, learn from those leaders, donate to those causes. Don’t jump to center stage right away.

Replace starting something new with collaboration

When you collaborate rather than start something new, you strengthen existing work. You will be exponentially more effective. When you are not a member of a group you want to work for/with, collaborating is crucial. You need to be in a support role, you must unlearn the savior complex. If you want to really serve someone, you must put their interests first. If you aren’t willing to do that, do something else.

When to start something new

There are two times when you should start something

1. When the existing options are entrenched with systemic injustices that to participate with them would be to participate in oppression and marginalization. Some of my most profound learning and growing moments occured when someone said “I can no longer be part of this.”
2. When nothing exists to fill a real need

Micah Matthias attended a Baptist University outside of Philadelphia, PA. While a student there, he had the gumption to start a queer-straight alliance. Naturally, he went looking for resources. He found none. There are plenty of resources if you are queer and Christian and trying to make sense of that. And lots of resources if you want to start a GSA at your public high school. But no resources if you are queer, OK with yourself, and ready to start making things better for your Christian community. And so, Sanctuary Collective was born. Now there is a place to go if you are a college student organizing on a Christian campus.

Why unlearning starting something new will help your movement

No matter the issue you are passionate about, there are people already organizing. These people are not your competition, they are your mentors and collaborators. You must connect to and learn from them. At some point, you may differentiate and go your separate ways. At first, connect with others in your field, work with them, and support them. This may mean that you are not “the leader,” but you can still lead. In fact, you can be a movement maker without ever being an executive director. Your experience supporting existing work will give you knowledge, experience, and expertise. It will prove to others that you are committed and know what you are doing. And of course, it will help you make lots of connections.

Next time you get the urge to start something new, ask how you can be a part of something that already exists.