Create vs. Consume

01 of More TKTKTK

Since the start of the pandemic I have sent nearly 100 daily newsletters within my organization summarizing the news. Looking for trends and the direction things are heading in is always my first instinct. While there are mixed reviews about the sudden popularity, scanning for top stories is a highlight. Consider this my personal outtakes.

Two things are already clear: communication is going through a redesign visually and physically, and health needs to be a focal point in a much less unfair way.

Screen time is way up to unhealthy levels. Inhaling bad news is driving our collective outrage. 2020 has also been a tough time to voice opinions—cancel culture is real, and protesting in public spaces is increasingly unsafe. But the learning and growing among a culture waking up together is the beauty of this otherwise horrible year.

It has been a few years since I created anything of this sort, and it will be a good exercise in thinking clearly. My writing is rusty so please excuse this work in progress.

— Erin

“Anyone who thinks clearly can write clearly.” — William Zinsser, On Writing Well

Alessandra Olanow

Read 

The Future of Our Food Supply: From grocery stores and online delivery to farms and restaurants, how and where we eat may never look the same. (Bloomberg CityLab)

Will Silicon Valley be your healthcare provider one day? It's very likely: While stuck at home, we came to rely on private technology companies as the infrastructure for so many of our daily needs – everything from delivering essentials to communicating with colleagues – and now for public health coordination too. (The Guardian)

The Environmental Movement is Very White. These Leaders Want to Change That: There is a social justice movement happening in the outdoors space that we should all be paying attention to. (National Geographic)

Pollution Is Killing Black Americans. This Community Fought Back: African-Americans are 75 percent more likely than others to live near facilities that produce hazardous waste. Can a grass-roots environmental-justice movement make a difference? (The New York Times Magazine)

We Can Build a Better Food System Through Mutual Aid: Imagine if food producers and movements worked together to secure the basic needs of those fighting for a better world for everyone. (Civil Eats)

Listen

Why Indoor Environments Are More Important than Ever: Science behind how buildings shape health, happiness, and resilience. (At a Distance via The Slowdown)

The Radical History of Self-Care & the New World of Wellness Branding: I spend a lot of time thinking about how wellness and self-care are marketed as products and services with premium price points. (Unseen Unknown)

The Michelle Obama Podcast: Need I say more. (Spotify)

Support

Justice for Breonna Taylor: Here’s the official petition filed with the U.S. Government, which is accepting signatures until the end of August.

Tech For Campaigns: If you have a skill to give there’s <100 days to donate your time.

Rename the Edmund Pettus Bridge after Rep John Lewis: His farewell letter urging us to answer the highest calling of our hearts and stand up what we believe is a tearjerker. Read that first then sign.

Follow

@iohnyc: Resistance through a growing DIY network of community fridge teams with operation costs of approximately $27 per month.

@designyardsale: Selling and auctioning creative works by designers to raise funds for the Bail Project and Colloqate Design.

@outer.reach: Started taking daily stretch breaks with the former TriBeCa studio as they transition to a digital based business.

LMK

I would love to hear what you think. You can find slightly professional me on Twitter, and weekend me on Instagram. Opinions and ideas here are my own. If you like it, please subscribe and share with anyone your think may be interested. Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed!