Patricia Swarbrick 🏳️‍🌈 🇨🇦
banner
swarpat.bsky.social
Patricia Swarbrick 🏳️‍🌈 🇨🇦
@swarpat.bsky.social
Just bumbling around like good ol’ Pooh
AuDHD
Gender-nonconforming Bi 🏳️‍🌈
Accepting of everyone except the bigots
Pinned
In case you can’t guess based on the same kitty being in our profile pics, this is my spouse

@gronkular.bsky.social
Reposted by Patricia Swarbrick 🏳️‍🌈 🇨🇦
ESA/Webb (@esa.int) images (Oct 26, 2022)

The gravity of galaxy cluster MACS0647 acts as a lens, magnifying the distant MACS0647-JD system and showing its images in three locations.

esawebb.org/images/MACS0647a/
December 9, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Reposted by Patricia Swarbrick 🏳️‍🌈 🇨🇦
We have instinctive wisdom inside us that CPTSD has worked hard to muffle, make us distrust, & make us doubt the existence of. An every day trauma recovery discipline is listening to our gut & heart w/ respect & patience-- which isn't easy, w/ all the noise & bullsh* t out there.
December 9, 2025 at 4:19 AM
Reposted by Patricia Swarbrick 🏳️‍🌈 🇨🇦
The "fawn" response will have us running around trying to fix problems we didn't create, & couldn't fix even if we wanted to-- but recovery is going to ask us to let some peoples' problems be THEIR problems, not ours. Which is harder than it sounds, for formerly parentified kids.
December 9, 2025 at 4:20 AM
Reposted by Patricia Swarbrick 🏳️‍🌈 🇨🇦
Many trauma survivors have been conditioned to believe we have to keep it to ourselves when a comment or "joke" hurts us-- but something survivors in recovery often find is we're much less willing (or able!) to tolerate passive verbal abuse in the guise of "just kidding."
December 9, 2025 at 4:21 AM
Reposted by Patricia Swarbrick 🏳️‍🌈 🇨🇦
You are worth so much more than half assed effort in relationships. Don't let your trauma history convince you otherwise.

"Their" inability to step up has zero to do w/ whether you deserve high effort. "Their" effort issue is a "them" issue -- which WILL catch up to them.
December 9, 2025 at 4:46 AM
Reposted by Patricia Swarbrick 🏳️‍🌈 🇨🇦
Seeing & acknowledging the "good" in someone or their progress is not inconsistent w/ being realistic about their red flags or limitations. In fact, one of the most loving, supportive things we can do for someone is to be real about those red flags & limitations.

Do both.
December 9, 2025 at 4:47 AM
Reposted by Patricia Swarbrick 🏳️‍🌈 🇨🇦
We survivors in recovery are not going to get past feeling guilty for saying "no" overnight. That one's seared into our nervous system, deep. But we CAN commit to saying "no" when we need to, regardless of how we feel. Start w/ the behavior, & chip away at changing the feeling.
December 9, 2025 at 6:06 AM
Reposted by Patricia Swarbrick 🏳️‍🌈 🇨🇦
There are trauma survivors reading this-- & a trauma survivor writing this-- who have been suckered into tolerating disrespect because we understood & empathized w/ someone else's trauma.

Empathy is beautiful, a superpower. But so are boundaries & self-respect.
December 9, 2025 at 6:05 AM
Reposted by Patricia Swarbrick 🏳️‍🌈 🇨🇦
One thing at a time.
December 8, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Funny thought: Disney may have been egging on the development of the current admin with their Star Wars Franchise decisions. Problem was people didn’t quite figure out the fascist part, or did it too late.

Eh, we’ll see I guess. Meh, What a nightmare.
December 9, 2025 at 2:32 AM
Reposted by Patricia Swarbrick 🏳️‍🌈 🇨🇦
NGC 602

James Webb
December 8, 2025 at 3:43 AM
I prefer bright or dark colours over pastels. Like high contrast stuff, strong jewel tones. When I do art its almost always bright stuff. The toque I just made? Bright. Blanket? Bright. Pastel and white? Not so much. Might be too white without enough contrast to other tones.
December 8, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Something i remember: the most popular kid in my early grades had severe cerebral palsy. He was coool because of all the accommodations but also because he was fun to be around. It was considered a great privilege to walk with him and push his wheelchair outside during recess.
December 8, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Reposted by Patricia Swarbrick 🏳️‍🌈 🇨🇦
Its summer time in Aus and instead of actually being at the beach enjoying such sweltering weather I'm drawing my sona enjoying it.

🎨 #art #illustration #ocsky #sona
December 8, 2025 at 7:36 AM
A little #monday #wakeup call

#Rooster
December 8, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Reposted by Patricia Swarbrick 🏳️‍🌈 🇨🇦
Today at the Castro Holiday Art Market, my hubby and other guys from SF Men Knit will sell their work, with all proceeds to Trevor Project and ACLU. Sunday 11-4 at Noe and Market. Caps, tree ornaments, garments
www.sfmenknit.us
www.instagram.com/castro.artma...
December 7, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Reposted by Patricia Swarbrick 🏳️‍🌈 🇨🇦
I used to think BlueSky was an impossible platform to sell books, and I know many authors give up. I only stayed because I like to hang out here.

But here's what I'm learning...

💙 BlueSky rewards you for being human. 💙

This is such a foreign concept on the other socials... I nearly missed it.
December 7, 2025 at 6:49 PM
Reposted by Patricia Swarbrick 🏳️‍🌈 🇨🇦
Everyone is not "a little" autistic
Everyone is not "a little" ADHD
Everyone is not "a little" OCD

To be diagnosed with these conditions, a person must be meaningfully impaired by them.
December 8, 2025 at 1:57 AM
Reposted by Patricia Swarbrick 🏳️‍🌈 🇨🇦
Yes, our inner child needs to be held, affirmed, & protected by our adult Self. But our inner teen, or teen "parts," also need those things-- &, just like any teen, they can be a little more complicated & require a little more patience to engage. Don't ignore or give up on them.
December 8, 2025 at 3:50 AM
One reason Microsoft fails horribly: their inability to retain and make available purchase receipts for video games. Apple has a database record, even for the free games, but Microsoft? They are too lazy to retain that information. Or too greedy and more interested in forcing people to rebuy.
December 8, 2025 at 5:00 AM
Reposted by Patricia Swarbrick 🏳️‍🌈 🇨🇦
TIL about a memorial ceremony in Iceland in 2019 to mark the end of a glacier, changing the place name from Okjökull to Ok (jökull = glacier). Uncompromising wording on the bronze plaque:
"This is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it".
December 7, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Reposted by Patricia Swarbrick 🏳️‍🌈 🇨🇦
Need to hear some beauty.

youtu.be/EKkzbbLYPuI?...
Lindsey Stirling - Carol of the Bells (Official Music Video)
YouTube video by Lindsey Stirling
youtu.be
December 7, 2025 at 9:31 PM
Reposted by Patricia Swarbrick 🏳️‍🌈 🇨🇦
UPDATE: Another Chicago-area church has put up an immigration-themed Nativity scene.

A church member at Urban Village Church sent this one along, where Mary, Joseph and Jesus are gone and replaced with a sign that reads: “Due to ICE activity in our community, the Holy Family is in hiding.”
December 7, 2025 at 10:31 PM
Reposted by Patricia Swarbrick 🏳️‍🌈 🇨🇦
Quiet brain time. Muchas chills.
December 7, 2025 at 11:18 AM
Reposted by Patricia Swarbrick 🏳️‍🌈 🇨🇦
"They" are going to try to convince you you are "responsible" for their emotional reactions-- because "they" are not working a recovery. Those of us who are working our trauma recovery know, & remember, that we cannot "make" anyone feel anything or "control" anyone's behavior.
December 8, 2025 at 12:06 AM