Sawyer Steele’s Post

I’m excited to share one of the photographs from my upcoming solo exhibition Human Nature opening on Nov 2nd: It’s titled PERSPECTIVE 5 x 3 feet. During Covid - especially those early months, when things were really intense, I spent a lot of time in nature I loved that sense of realignment, refuge, humility, a change of perspective. Human Nature opens on Nov 2nd at SHACK15 presented by The National Women’s History Museum in DC National Women's History Museum and Women Connect4Good (National Women's History Museum & WOMENCONNECT4GOOD INC) Register to see the show here both in person and there will be an online tour: https://lnkd.in/gr3jENNQ The exhibition includes photography, sculpture and time-based media. It has been creatively exhilarating working in these new mediums. Looking forward to sharing more of the work soon. Tiffany

After I shared a Twitter thread re: how much I've personally invested into building They Got Acquired, an editor from Fortune reached out and asked if I'd write a column for them. Today it went live: https://lnkd.in/ecHYuVqP This is 1) great visibility for the brand in a respected publication 2) a high-DR backlink that will boost our SEO and 3) my first time personally having a byline in Fortune (I've had bylines in lots of publications because I started my career as a journalist). This opportunity came about because I pushed past my comfort zone to share details of my own experience, including the tough-to-talk-about money details. It's such a good reminder that vulnerability often results in connection.

Yesterday hundreds of people rallied outside SF City Hall expressing support for the people protesting in Iran. As an Iranian-American, I have been engulfed with emotion over the last few weeks. It has been impossible not to feel their pain, their rage, their hope, their defiance. Here's what you need to know: - While removing headscarves and cutting hair have become symbols of this movement, the purpose of this protest goes much deeper than hijab. People are protesting the repressive Islamic regime and mounting economic challenges which are making it nearly impossible to live freely in that country. - The Islamic regime has been in power for 43 years. They have instilled Islamic law, which includes mandatory hijab for women; restrictions on women and men intermingling; zero tolerance for homosexuality; a ban on alcohol; and much more. - Hijab is not inherently bad; the issue is that women do not have a choice about their own bodies. Decades before the Islamic Republic came into power, the first Shah of Iran, Reza Shah, had made it illegal for women to wear hijab, which is as bad as requiring it -- because neither option allows women the right to choose. - While there are regularly held presidential elections in Iran, the religious leaders have the final say (kind of like the Supreme Court in the US). That being said, the president can serve either as a buffer or an enabler for the religious leaders, depending on their stance. So the last few decades have seen both loosening and tightening of restrictions depending on different presidencies. - The current president has emboldened the morality police to crack down violently on anything they deem to be against the law. This led to the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who was beaten, imprisoned, and eventually killed in prison for showing too much hair under her headscarf. Mahsa Amini has now become a major symbol of this movement. Hundreds of people have been imprisoned and dozens have been killed since Amini's death one month ago. - This movement is significant for a number of reasons. People from different ethnic backgrounds, religious and non-religious, working class and the wealthy, are uniting in this movement. It is women-led, and youth are at the forefront -- including school-aged children. - Many Iranians are living in exile or as refugees in other parts of the world. Family separation and homesickness is an inherent part of being an Iranian today. Second generation Iranians like myself often suppress or ignore the trauma associated with that. But it's there, and it's deep. We're carrying generations of trauma and heartbreak. IF YOU WANT TO HELP, send a little extra love and kindness to your Iranian friends & colleagues who are probably having a hard time even if they're not talking about it. And check out the actions below.

Tech checks being done ... Registered yet? Don't miss it! https://lnkd.in/gEzRSeQB Tiffany Shlain Sawyer Steele Duane Rockwell Duncan Hesketh