February Connect, Create Collaborate

Create your own care circle with a simple new framework 💞

Hello.

I’m writing to you with more hope in my heart than I’ve had in a long time. The kind of hope that’s rubber meets the asphalt–active, embodied, tangible.

As we enter a new month, in the barely crossed threshold of 2026, what I’m holding alongside the uncertainty, outrage, and exhaustion are beautiful examples of connection, courage, and community. Not as ideas, concepts, or hypothetical meanderings, but lived.

So many neighbors helping each other, out of love and also, necessity.

Which is why our monthly practice of connection, collaboration, and shared creativity is so important.

And why I’m offering a deeper invitation to make it real in your own life with structure and purpose.

When we’re overwhelmed, busy, and at or over capacity, we need simple infrastructures that make the logistics of community intuitive instead of restrictive. We need processes that flow, are flexible, and yet sturdy enough to provide a framework for creating economies of care that flourish outside of capitalism.

Care circles provide a simple framework I hope will do just that. An intentional, close-knit circle of 3-5 people you already trust, willing to show up for each other and share resources, skills, and support.

The most powerful part?

As each person creates their own circle of care, an expanded network of interwoven relationships develops as a result. Your 5 trusted people become 25—all connected to each other through mutual friends.

Ready to try it out? Here’s how to get started!

Care Circles

1. Write down 3-5 people in your life you trust and already have an established relationship with. These could be close friends, neighbors, mentors, co-workers, or family. The majority of them (2-3 out of 5) should live in close proximity, ie in the same city or nearby.

These people are part of your inner “circle of care.”

2. Collect (with permission!) their contact info, along with a list of skills, pooled resources, and ideas for needs within your circle you might collectively meet.

Examples might include: a neighborhood carpool, a monthly community potluck, a tool-share, an emergency mutual aid fund, etc. Ask for help brainstorming ideas!

3. Once you have your inner circle complete, ask each person in the circle to create their own circle of trusted people. There might be some overlap, but try to come up with different names to widen the reach of your circles!

The goal is to have a network of 25 people built on trusted relationships to begin exchanging resources in real time. Use the spreadsheet to document resources offered and needed and check back often to update.

As each person builds their own network of care, it creates a ripple effect of connection, collaboration, and community!

Download the free Care Circles template below!

A few things to keep in mind:

• This is a living, adaptable structure. Make it your own! Use it as a starting point, not an ending one.

• To maximize participation, make sure everyone agrees and understands the concept. You might approach it like an experiment. Here’s a sample text or email you might send.

Hey (friend)! I’d love to start building community in more tangible ways and helping each other with practical resources. There’s a framework I’m trying out to provide some structure that might help. Would you like to be part of exploring it together?

• If they respond with enthusiasm or curiosity, follow up with more information and share the free, spreadsheet template with them below.

This is an idea I’ve been holding in my heart for a long time. I’d love to know if it resonates with you! Let me know if you try it out over the next few weeks/months and how it evolves.

Without further ado, here’s how to join our monthly Heartbeats Resource Exchange!

Our goal is to practice tangible ways to generously share what we have and bravely receive what we need. Realizing this goes beyond a 1:1 exchange, we’re creating a web of reciprocity and care that ripples out far and wide.

How It Works:

1. In the comments on THIS POST

   • Share your city in ALL CAPS

   • Under “RESOURCES OFFERED” list up to 3 free resources you’d like to share (examples: tarot reading, editing services, homemade meal, etc.)

   • Under “RESOURCES NEEDED” list 1-3 items you’d like to receive from the community (examples: a writing critique partner, 2 hours of childcare per month, an old typewriter, painting lessons, etc.).

2. Connect with others by responding directly to offers/requests that interest you

3. If you can’t directly respond to a request, but know someone who can, invite them to participate!

4. Check back periodically for new connections

5. This thread will remain active through February 28th, with a new thread starting March 1st.

We’ll keep doing the more simple monthly resource exchanges here on Heartbeats and I’ll continue to share the Care Circle framework as well.

Thank you for showing up, just as you are.

All my love,
Mariah

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We Belong To Each Other 🦋

Inspired by Kimberly Coburn’s idea, I’m offering a raffle this month for a chance to win a signed copy of The Pattern Shop—my debut novel about belonging to each other across time and space.

I’m copying the same details for how to enter from Kimberly’s original post:

So here’s the deal: $5 donation to a related cause is an entry. I’ve included a link to standwithminnesota.com which standwithminnesota.com has tons of support options and mutual aid suggestions, but if you want to donate to something closer to home, by all means. (In TN, tnimmigrant.org is a great resource).

Just message me your donation confirmation and you’re set. (If you donate $50, that’s 10 entries, etc.) Please consider sharing to boost contributions.🦋

👐If money is tight - or hell, even if it isn’t - message me about something you did instead: called your reps, helped make food for delivery to vulnerable families, found another way to plug in. Everything counts right now and I’d love to hear about all the ways people are making small gestures toward building the world we want to live in.👐

Raffle starts now and ends Friday, Feb 28th at midnight EST.

Additional Reading + Resources On Building Community

A beautiful calendar with daily reminders to take small steps towards community care and why it matters by Natalie Brite | DoGoodBiz.

DOGOOD DISPATCH: Why Care, Community, and Collective Action Matter Right Now

How to build a pod and why the numbers (3-8 people) are important by The People's Paper.

Together We Can Catch Each Other

Creative ideas for how to run a functioning society and start a ‘cozy’ revolution from the lovely Lisa Sibbett.

How To Run a Functioning Society

Last but not least, reflections on how to distribute the load of caregiving beyond ‘fair play’ from Chloe Sladden, founder of Honeycomb.

Fair Play didn’t work for me. This did.