Mixed Mediums
the momentum of routines and the power in resets
issue no. 794
HERE WE ARE . . .
on the precipice of our ‘August break’. Each year, we stop sending our Tuesday newsletter for the entire month of August. We can value the cadence of a weekly ritual. After all, when we write each edition, we are exercising a muscle. Not every newsletter is pure gold, but we’re fairly certain that without the practice, the true gems might never materialize. Getting in those reps helps condition us in special ways for which there is no shortcut.
And yet, a routine can become a rut. Sometimes we need a complete reset - the time and space to literally and figuratively breathe.
A few weeks ago our ‘one small thing’ prompt was in regard to ‘redistributing resources’. We think about this a lot - especially in a world and a culture rich with so much abundance, yet so much strain. There are so many circumstances where redistributing resources can help infuse energy into the everyday.
One reader wrote in to say that they volunteer at a local food pantry, noting that ‘It’s great and necessary to get food to those in need. We have plenty of it and no one needs to go hungry.’
Another reader shared their project Pancakes for the People - a community breakfast project funded by grants, food donations, and volunteer labor.
And recently, I helped a new friend who re-homed 90% of her household’s possessions when they made a swift decision to move half way across the country, bringing only what they could fit in their VW minivan. The items that had quickly become a burden to her were the greatest gift to dozens of others.
Resource redistribution can be a practice across a collective, or simply within ourselves.
This practice of pausing our newsletter each August lets us redistribute the resources we have right in front of us: the time, energy, and intellect that we devote to our regular practice each week. The change of pace is the thing that ultimately re-energizes our process and keeps it from becoming rigid or stale.
Both Dorothy and I will experience a change of scenery - inhabiting different spaces with different people that percolate our senses in different ways. We also hope to experiment with an adjacent medium - audio instead of writing - to share some stories about resource redistribution.
As we’ve experimented with recording an audio version of the newsletter each week, we realize that there are so many stories that inspire these weekly words, and we are eager to share them with the richness and tone of our voices. Storytelling is one powerful way that we learn and grow, and we are so grateful to do so alongside you, together.
Here’s to redistributing, ever onward, our personal and collective resources. Until September,
Tay + Dor
While I have not found a job through the site, the newsletter has consistently challenged my thinking and pushed me to strive for better.
- Michelle
tidbits...
resources on anti-racism, environmentalism and food culture AKA stuff we’re reading / listening to / watching / noticing / thinking about / captivated by this Tuesday . . .
Do One Small Thing . . . what is one small way you pay attention, take a break, contemplate, or care for yourself? - you can reply to this newsletter, share in the comments, or email us at info@goodfoodjobs.com.
“Resistance has always looked like gathering.” - Desiree Adaway, on reunions, celebrations, and survival.
The Career Archetypes is now accepting paid writing submissions. Prime for all of you who center meaning in their work. Submit by August 15th.
Cultivating Resistance, a farm-based collaboration between Quilombo do Acupe and Soul Fire Farm, will be a weekend abundant with workshops in capoeira, farming, herbalism, wilderness play, foraging, swimming, music, and movement. Learn more and register for this September 4-6.
We are glad to see Mamdani’s office having fun alongside making meaningful policies for small NYC food businesses and making food more affordable for all.
Megan Falley asks, “What might we still learn that contradicts something we now consider indisputable?” in the latest from Things That Don’t Suck.
Get your copy of Dorothy’s new book - online, from your favorite local bookstore, by asking your local library to carry it, or requesting it on the Libby app.
View and share this free guide to How to Write a More Equitable Job Post, and stay tuned for new resources to deepen this work.
got a tidbit? drop it here for us and we’ll share it in next week’s newsletter.
GOOD FOOD JOBS has been satisfying the hunger for meaningful work since 2010