The theme of Small People, Small Things has been a meaningful one to me for most of my life. It’s spoken to me in different ways at different times, though not always fully understood or accepted (to this day).

Settling on the “right” name has always been key for me, when a creative and/or advocacy project seems to grab me. I imagine there’s some risk in Small People, Small Things sounding like it’s diminishing certain people, and devaluing their output and contributions to their community. To be clear, my hope is the exact opposite: to shine a soft spotlight on “smallness,” and honor it in its various incarnations.

I was partly inspired by the name lowercase people, which the band Switchfoot had for a media and justice initiative a while back. And though I’ve probably heard the following quote at some point, I found these words from Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano right after I decided on Small People, Small Things: “Many small people, in small places, doing small things can change the world.” I’m drawn to that hope, and it seems to be the modus operandi of God’s kingdom.

The tagline I’ve landed on for now is: “I hope Small People, Small Things can be a nudge toward the less publicized, but often more human, personal moments and individuals, creativity and media, businesses and community projects.” In my first newsletter (to be shared shortly) and other posts and newsletters to follow, Lord willing and the daily grind don’t rise, I hope you’ll see some examples of those different but often overlapping areas of attention.

By the way, I don’t want to be legalistic about sainting “smallness,” or exclusively value someone or something for not being “big.” I’ve had a tendency to be snobbish about this, while at the same time not being consistent with my own predilections. There are many well known artists and other figures, and larger companies and social projects, which I appreciate and/or benefit from significantly. But I think there is a way to be “bigger” but still be humanizing in uncommon ways, while being “smaller” unfortunately doesn’t in itself realize that goal.

Transparently, I’d love for Small People, Small Things to stick around longer than a few similar projects I’ve had the past two decades. I believe this theme is more critical than ever in our world and in our communities, and in so many ways in need of advocacy and protection. I hope to share personal reflections with some regularity, but also to point you to the work of others consistently. I’d love to feature guest posts, interviews, and other collaborations in the near future as well.

Thank you for reading this far, and for bearing with me. As always, please feel free to share your own input.

Grace and peace, to all of us …