Staying Unmuted in a World on Fire
The world feels heavy right now.
Everywhere you look, there’s grief, anger, injustice, fear, and an endless stream of posts reminding us that staying quiet means we’re complicit.
And… maybe sometimes that’s true.
But let’s talk about something more complicated, and maybe even more honest.
Because not everyone who is quiet is apathetic.
Not everyone who isn’t posting is disengaged.
And, not everyone who is surviving has the capacity to perform their values publicly every single day.
Some are just trying to get by.
Some are trying to stay soft in a world that keeps demanding they harden.
Some are choosing joy in small, stubborn ways, but not because they don’t care, but because it’s the only way they can keep caring.
Quiet Isn’t Always Complicity
There’s a growing pressure (especially in online spaces and platforms) to prove goodness, awareness, alignment. To be loud, and visible, and constantly saying the right thing.
But that pressure leaves very little room for nuance.
It leaves no room for:
Parents trying to hold it together for their kids
Survivors protecting their nervous systems
Creatives whose work is their form of contribution
People doing meaningful, unglamorous work behind the scenes
No one really knows what people are doing in their day-to-day lives to be part of the solution. And assuming the worst of each other doesn’t make the world any lighter. It just adds fuel to a fire we’re all already struggling to put out.
What If Light Is Also Resistance?
Here’s the part that might be an unpopular opinion:
What if bringing light through your work matters, too?
What if creating something thoughtful, accessible, or beautiful is not escapism…but….care?
For the lucky few who get to do work that truly fulfills them, that work can be a lifeline. Not just for them, but for the people who encounter that work; a moment of clarity, a sense of being seen, or even a reminder that humans are still trying.
That’s what being Unmuted has always been about.
The We Are Unmuted Interview Series was started because of this. It wasn’t about selling hustle or pretending everything is fine. It’s about talking to people who are doing work that aligns with their values, work that brings meaning, joy, and impact in a world that desperately needs all three.
Sometimes the most radical thing someone can do is keep showing up with integrity.
Being Unmuted Isn’t One Thing
Being unmuted doesn’t only look like protest signs and hot takes.
It can also look like:
Standing your ground when your values aren’t popular
Choosing not to perform outrage for approval
Designing brands that genuinely help people
Creating spaces where voices are amplified, not exploited
Refusing to sell things just to sell things
We’re not here to push products without purpose. We’re here because we believe better brands create better systems, and better systems make life more livable for the people inside them.
So no, we won’t stop talking about the good we’re building just because the world is on fire. And no, that does not make us complicit.
An Invitation, Not a Demand
This isn’t permission to disengage. It’s an invitation to be honest.
To acknowledge that the world is a dumpster fire, AND that we are allowed to find joy where we can. To stop tearing each other down for how we survive. To recognize that impact isn’t always loud, but it is intentional.
If the work you do brings a little light into someone’s day, that matters.
If it helps someone feel less alone, more capable, or more seen, that matters too.
If it helps you stay human in an inhumane moment, that matters more than you think.
The world doesn’t need more noise.
It needs people who are willing to stay present, do their work with integrity, and bring light where they can (even when it’s quiet or imperfect).
That’s not avoidance; that’s care. And in a world on fire, care is not nothing.
