Joan Didion is a journalist and essayist whose work has appeared in Life, Esquire, The Saturday Post and The New York Times.

The Uncomfortable Topic of Grief

Joan Didion is a journalist and essayist whose work has appeared inLife, Esquire, The Saturday PostandThe New York Times. 

Condensed

As a creative agency, it’s no surprise we’re constantly trying to find new ways to be creative and mine ideas from our brains.

Creativity Daily

As a creative agency, it’s no surprise we’re constantly trying to find new ways to be creative and mine ideas from our brains. Sometimes they come freely, as if already in existence. Other times, creativity is an arduous process that feels like it may never lead anywhere.

Admittedly, I haven’t been feeling super inspired this week, so I’ll keep this brief.

Judging Imaginary People

Life can be stressful for a full-time-working, grad-school-moonlighting, Marie Kondo-style folding, suburb-commuting lady like myself.

Finding that Forward Fold

The disarming case to act right now on climate change | Greta Thunberg

There are no gray areas when it comes to survival.

In an effort to be a bit more well-versed in the ideas floating around and the concise communicating people tended to depict while speaking about them, I’d signed up to receive weekly TED Talks three weeks ago.

How Being a Geophysicist Made Me a Better Communicator

I was working as a reporter for my hometown’s paper this past summer and a super 80’s Canadian rock band was coming to town, and I was tasked with interviewing the lead singer (when I say ‘super 80’s’ I mean I remember listening to them on cassette tape with my dad).

A few months ago, I felt the need to join the rest of the modern yuppie world and find a podcast to listen to on my commute to and from work

How a podcast made me feel less alone

I eat a lot of soup for lunch when I’m at work. (Let’s face it; I’m not responsible enough for weekly meal prep.) And I’m known for eating soup.

Art, Soup and Third-Party Credibility

I eat a lot of soup for lunch when I’m at work. (Let’s face it; I’m not responsible enough for weekly meal prep.) And I’m known for eating soup. Even in the summer. From a giant soup mug that Adam warns everyone about.

You just gotta rum with it.

I’ve been reading ‘And a Bottle of Rum, A History of the New World in Ten Cocktails.’

Jan Švankmajer - BREAKFAST (FOOD 1992)

Jan Švankmajer - Lunch (Food 1992).

A look into the Grotesque with Jan Svankmajer

Czech filmmaker Jan Svankmajer has been a major influence among young animators for his strange and often grotesque short films and unusual animation and editing style.

Beautiful new words to describe obscure emotions | John Koenig

Need to express an obscure feeling? Use your words.

Juliet Capulet isn’t the only one asking “what’s in a name?” As it turns out, the Shakespearean leading lady might have been onto
something 400 years ago.

Juliet Capulet isn’t the only one asking “what’s in a name?” As it turns out, the Shakespearean leading lady might have been onto

20 Bob Ross quotes from Joy of painting - "How to be happy by Bob Ross"

If I could have a penny for every time I’ve felt overwhelmed. Work’s crazy. Life’s crazy. There’re bills and deadlines to deal with every day. Adulting is hard.

Have a Happy Little Day

But you need a breather. I need a breather. We all need a breather. A breather that’ll give us back a slice of peace and positivity in a world full of problems and pessimism, remind us that shit’s going to be just fine.

Suspiria favourite clip

Hereditary (2018) - *Creepy scene* High quality *1080p*

Halloween is Wednesday, which means we’ve had an almost full month of haunted houses, grinning jack-o-lanterns, an unwanted proliferation of candy corn and horror movies.

Horror is where the heart is

This past summer, I met my family in Junction, Texas to kayak the south fork of the Llano River.

The Disappearing Art of Iconography

Ritual vs routine: Developing habits that matter

Are you a habitual habit maker/breaker? Me too.

Unexpected: Building creativity through small rebellions

Reveling in the unexpected should be your next #lifegoal and brand strategy.

Reveling in the unexpected should be your next #lifegoal and brand strategy. Here are 5 tips to become memorable shared by our Creative Director Jo Skillman at the Creative Circles Conference 2018.

The radical act of being your authentic self

How to start a movement | Derek Sivers

The importance of being a follower in today’s leader-obsessed society

I tend to be the person who doesn’t like being the center of attention.

Reading Rainbow: Take a look. It’s now in a podcast.

Reading used to be a way to get ahead in class or learn a new thing or word.

Reading used to be a way to get ahead in class or learn a new thing or word. It was a way for me to escape, yes, but in a fun and adventurous way. Now, reading is more of an escape in a real way. My life is busy, the world around me is kind of a mess right now—I just want to forget about it sometimes.

The hidden power of smiling | Ron Gutman

At Black Sheep, we talk a lot about rebellion and activism. We’re known to enjoy protesting, wheatpasting and the occasional theft of an inanimate animal.

Smile Like Your Life Depends On It

No matter your impact space, the last few years have taught us that our causes are interconnected. Researchers are now dealing with what the White House calls “converging crises” across industries. As a purpose-driven organization, we’ve spent years discussing everything from environmental racism and climate change to education and housing. But until recently, we hadn’t yet looked into an issue that’s affected by all of the above: food insecurity.

Food insecurity affects millions of all ages and backgrounds across America, particularly impacting the BIPOC community and hitting kids especially hard after millions have lost access to free school lunches. 

The pandemic has only exacerbated the fragility of the inequitable American food system. In 2022, the Census Bureau reported a 41% increase in households saying they did not have enough to eat after Congress stopped pandemic relief programs. 

That's over 40 million people who are experiencing hunger—or the fear of hunger—on a regular basis. With rising food and housing costs, that number is only expected to grow. 

Food insecurity is the lack of consistent access to enough nutritious food to maintain an active and healthy life. This can include not having enough money to buy food, living in an area without access to healthy food options or experiencing disruptions in food supply due to natural disasters or other crises.

According to Feeding America, the causes of food insecurity are complex and include:

Systemic racism and racial discrimination

The devastating effects of food insecurity

Access to fresh, healthy food is a basic human need and a social determinant of health and wellness. Without equitable access, we see an impact on:

Health: Without nutritious foods, people are at an increased risk for chronic health conditions like diabetes, heart disease and mental health disorders—particularly as many turn to cheap, caloric-rich foods in lieu of fresh, prepared meals.

Education: Children who experience food insecurity are more likely to have lower academic achievement, be suspended or expelled and suffer from behavioral and emotional problems. 

Financial wellness: Food-insecure households often spend over 25% of their income on food, making it challenging to budget other expenses like housing, healthcare, education and utilities. This is more harrowing given that food-insecure households also spend more on healthcare due to their poor diet.

Words matter. Food deserts and food apartheid are related terms you have probably heard but are distinct concepts.

Food deserts refer to geographic areas where residents lack access to affordable, healthy and fresh food, often due to a lack of grocery stores or other food retailers. These food deserts can occur in both urban and rural areas and affect people of all races and income levels.

Food apartheid, on the other hand, refers to a systemic and intentional form of discrimination in the food system that leads to unequal access to healthy food based on race and income. This terminology recognizes that food access is not simply a matter of geography but a result of historical and ongoing inequities in the food system, including racism, poverty, and systemic inequality. 

There are organizations across most major cities to fight these issues, namely urban farms and dedicated neighborhood markets. However, given the multiple converging crises, issues like food insecurity are often overlooked in favor of more hot-button issues. That’s where all of us can step in.

What can social justice-minded people do to help solve food insecurity?

While food insecurity offers no easy solutions, there are many ways to get involved.

Poverty USA offers some smart systemic change recommendations:

Reduce food waste - we throw away 30% of the food we produce

Here are a few ideas you can engage with at the individual level:

Find your nearest co-op (like Plant It Forward) and volunteer and shop there

Call your representative to advocate for policies that support access to healthy, affordable food.

Support local farmers and community gardens

Educate yourself and others about the causes and consequences of food insecurity

Donate to organizations that are working to address food insecurity, such as Feeding America or the World Food Programme

Food insecurity is incredibly complex, but it’s one area we can actually make great progress on as individuals. Supporting these local, fresh food sources improves the entire community’s health—AND it means more delicious, interesting meals on your plate. That’s a win for everyone. 

What is food insecurity and what can we do about it?

Regular

Food insecurity is a complex issue affecting millions of Americans, with systemic factors like poverty, racism, and geography playing a major role, but there are steps we can take to combat it.

The Black Sheep blog is turning up the volume on community engagement, social media strategy, Houston happenings and what it means to lead a purpose-driven life.

The Black Sheep Agency | Social impact and nonprofit blog

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The Politics of Food Access