Author Honey Badger

In a culture that treats resonance as entitlement, this is a difficult truth to hold. We are taught that if something moves us, we should capture it, share it, apply it, reproduce it. That meaning is only proven through use.

Creative work is not inert material. It carries intention, labor, memory, and nervous system imprint. When you encounter a piece of writing, sound, or art, you are entering a relationship—however brief. Ethical engagement begins with acknowledging that relationship exists. Relationship requires care. Care means noticing when curiosity turns into consumption. It means pausing before reuse, adaptation, or repetition. It means recognizing that impact matters more

A gift is voluntary. A gift does not come with pressure, urgency, or implied debt. When I give freely, it is because I choose to—not because I am convinced that saying no would make me ungrateful, difficult, or invisible. My work already exists. It does not need to be justified through depletion.

Art is not neutral. It carries nervous systems, lived experience, and meaning that did not arise in a vacuum. When someone engages with a piece of work—reading it, sharing it, teaching from it, performing it, monetizing it—they are entering a relationship. Consent applies to that relationship.