One of my favorite things about Portland is its culture of craft and creativity. A close second is the culture of encouragement. When you combine those two things, you get the wackiness that is Portland. You get 200 different flavors of donuts, thousands of flavors of beer from hundreds of craft brewers. Food carts. Coffeeshops. It’s the combination of those cultures that truly makes Portland, Portland.
It’s goes a little something like this.
- Person A: “I really like these donuts, but you know what I would do to make them even better…?”
- Person 2: “You should totally do that.”
- [End scene]
So when Portland was impacted by the COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus, hundreds if not thousands of people sprung into action. Because they had an idea of how to help. And because they were encouraged by their friends, family, and community to pursue that idea. So Portland did what it does best. We built a bunch of stuff. Amazingly quickly.
Because Portland.
But for all the good that often comes of that behavior, I’d be lying if I didn’t say that that behavior — that collision of creativity and encouragement — has a downside.
That downside is constantly recreating the wheel. Or duplicating efforts. Or stepping on toes.
And that’s what we’re beginning to see with COVID-19 resources. Everyone building their own thing. And being encouraged to build their own thing.
And in many ways, I don’t want to dissuade anyone from doing that. We’re all doing what we can. Both to help others and to help ourselves. And to take the catharsis of feeling like you’re contributing away? That seems just mean right now. Maybe later. But for now? People need to build shit. We’re crafters and makers and creatives. Building is how we cope.
But with the proliferation of lists and sites and resources and write-ups, it’s becoming really difficult to find all of these amazingly unique and distinct lists. I can’t even keep track of the lists I’ve created. So I’m losing things.
Even worse? It’s hard to see the gaps. Gaps which should inspire even more cathartic list building when people see the opportunities to contribute. Like is there a really important list that is obviously missing? I don’t know. Because I don’t know what lists are out there.
And so, I thought this might help. It’s a list of lists. And your opportunity to contribute to that list. Because you’re way smarter than me. And collectively we’re even smarterer.
Know of a list that’s missing? Building a list of your own? Please complete the form to add it to the list of lists. Find a list? Add a list. Please and thank you. Also wash your hands.
