coming from
This is my coming from statement. I believe that every content creator, journalist, publication, and person who operates in the public sphere should at least take a stab at writing one.
The coming from initiative was spearheaded by the 2022 cohort of the Studio 20: Digital First master’s program at New York University’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute and program director Jay Rosen. Learn more about this project and how to write your own statement at comingfrom.org.
About me + this site
I'm a very online millennial child of the internet. I believe that people (and the internet as a whole) are good — and that we're all learning as we go. This site serves as my personal blog, portfolio, reference, and resource for what I'm up to.
I am employed full-time by Label Studio, am an adjunct faculty instructor within the NYU Studio 20 program, and perform standup comedy professionally. You can read about my latest endeavors on my now page.
This site also publishes itself as a sporadic newsletter. You can sign up via the signup module in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.
If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or feedback — I welcome it all. I will also assume you are doing so from a place of human kindness. This means assuming positive intent and speaking with clarity, directness, humility, and kindness. Direct candor is appreciated in conversation with me — and I will work to return the favor. However, direct candor does not equate to being an asshole.
Reach me at erin@erinmikailstaples.com.
Things I'm currently thinking about:
- Platform ethics — where do platforms' rights end? What role do they play in keeping open communication and their users safe online?
- Curation and community as a form of knowledge transfer — how can our online spaces cultivate better forms of information sharing?
- How much governance or regulation is "right" for news media and the internet? Who should decide that? What are the benefits and costs of regulation?
- What are the long-term impacts of the creator economy? Will this have actually helped increase opportunity — or did we further perpetuate inequality?
- How can we truly build with communities in mind rather than just exploiting communities for the value they bring?
- The value of a personal website and how we can use them to create our own corners of the web that showcase our own personality. What should these sites have on them? Is it all professional, or does it include personal goals too? What are the best practices for these personal sites?
I believe:
- That we have an obligation to one another to be honest, and transparent.
- Skepticism and questioning are healthy practices.
- Nothing good comes out of operating out of spite.
- We should be empowered to have hard conversations.
- You can change your ideas when presented with new information.
- Everyone deserves access to education, high-quality news, information, and the ability to advocate for their needs.
- An informed public is essential to a healthy democracy.
- Everything is political — even the privilege of ignoring day-to-day politics.
- Healthcare is a human right.
- Black lives matter, Trans lives matter, systemic racism exists, abortion is healthcare, women's rights are human rights, no human being is illegal, and science is real.
- Climate change is real — and we need to enact policies and hold corporations accountable.
- The power of a free press and quality journalism. Both of which are under attack.
Further things I keep in mind as I grow personally and professionally:
- Assume positive intent.
- Trust your gut.
- If you want to be taken seriously, then take yourself seriously.
- Things that go without saying sometimes never get said.
- Just ask.
Is there something I should add to this page? What do you want to know about me? Are there other disclosures that I should add for transparency?
Email me — erin@erinmikailstaples.com
Changelog
- Published Feb 13, 2022
- Updated Dec 20, 2022: Updated employment + recent projects, corrected typos.