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How to start a documentary club

February 16, 2017 by Suzanne Leave a Comment

 

Logo for We've Got Issues Doc Club

My friend Katie is inspired by the rich storytelling and social impact of great documentary films. But after watching them, she felt lost about how to make meaningful changes in her life. So she’s created an in-person and online club to explore documentaries and enact life changes (or social actions). She explains how it all got started, what they’ve watched so far, and how anyone can get involved or create their own chapter.

By Katie Scarlett Brandt 

The first time I tried to watch the documentary Food, Inc., I made it 20 minutes before I had to turn it off. If I kept watching, I wouldn’t be able to sleep unless I first built my own mini-farm in the backyard, hunted down non-genetically modified seeds, and vowed never to shop at a grocery store again. But it was 10 p.m. So instead, I turned off the documentary, and lulled myself to sleep with Seinfeld reruns.

Almost a decade later, I still haven’t gone back to Food, Inc. But I deeply believe that documentaries matter. They showcase real people and unique voices. Some delve into topics that you’d never think to explore on your own. Others make complicated issues digestible.

However, documentaries also can be intensely overwhelming if you’re someone who wants to see changes in the world. So a few months ago, I made a plan with my friend Sam, who also loves documentaries. We didn’t want to skip seeing important films out of fear of feeling too overwhelmed or depressed, and we wanted to talk about and process what we watched. Not only that, but given the political climate, we wanted to find ways to take action based on what these documentaries would show us.

We formed a club, We’ve Got Issues Doc Society, which meets every other month. Our goals: Watch a documentary. Discuss. Take action. To facilitate the post-screening discussions, we invite people who work in whatever area that month’s documentary focuses on. Our February screening was an environmental film; the discussion leaders we invited work in biodiesel, environmental activism, and composting.

As a complement to those talks, we develop a resource list of books and articles to read, podcasts to listen to, other films to watch, thought leaders to follow, and actions to take to affect change.

Our group is based in Chicago, but we share each month’s movie and resource list with people who have started chapters in other places: California, Colorado, and Virginia. For access to our screening list and resource guides, join our Facebook group or email me. We’ll also share the guides here on The Smart Domestic.

Here’s what we’ve watched so far:

  • 13th—Filmmaker Ava DuVernay looks at the history of racial inequality in the United States and how that history continues to play out in the form of mass incarceration. (See the resource and action list.)
  • Before the Flood—Leonardo DiCaprio takes us on a trip around the world to see how climate change and the fossil fuel industry are devastating the planet (See the resource and action list.)

If you’ve got suggestions for documentaries, resources, or action items, reach out via comment or on Facebook. The next screening will be in April.

Katie Scarlett Brandt is a writer, editor, and digital media strategist. She’s based in Chicago; you can find her on Twitter, Instagram, or her website. 

Filed Under: Features Tagged With: documentaries, documentary club, movies, Netflix, politics

Crafting as your day job

March 28, 2016 by Leslie Leave a Comment

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This is an ongoing series about people doing wonderful, interesting, unusual things with their lives. Leslie wondered how two crafty sisters could turn their handiwork into profit. So she packed up her baby, walked through downtown Keyport, New Jersey, and sat with them in their shop to find out.

I love crafting. There is something in my blood that needs to make things, from sewing felt alphabet letters to knitting a dozen hats for fun. From time to time, I fantasize about what it would be like to own a little shop and sell the cute stuff I make. But once I add in all the logistics of owning a small business, the idea falls to the wayside. (Not to mention the fact that hand-knit items are not exactly the best way to make a profit.)

Last year, I happened upon a new store in my town that gave me a glimpse into what life running a small business would be like. I was curious to see what kind of crafts the owners loved, what their backgrounds were, and where they’re headed….

Read More »

Filed Under: Features Tagged With: boss lady, boss women, crafts, entrepreneur, knitting, small business

A business of books and tea

March 13, 2016 by Suzanne Leave a Comment

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If I had to rattle off my favorite small pleasures in the world, tea and books would be at the top of the list. So when I heard about Muse Monthly, a subscription service that sends a new book with a themed tea pairing, I thought: “YES, PLEASE.”

I asked Christina Blok, the creator of this genius idea, to share the story of how it started and why she loves her side-hustle.

Christina Blok, Muse MonthlyeUpzpQn

Smart facts:

  • Passion project: CEO and Creative Director of Muse Monthly
  • Day job: Social media marketing
  • Social media: Website Twitter Instagram

Domestic facts:

  • Lives in New York City
  • In a long-distance relationship

Christina grew up as an avid book reader, and she’s also a frequent tea drinker. “My mom has always been a tea person, and she instilled a love for tea in me and my siblings,” she said.

Last year, Christina was in a stressful job that was wearing her down, and every evening, she’d come home and crave a gigantic mug of tea and a book, to help her shut down and relax. That’s when the idea for Muse Monthly was born: What if you could get a great new book and a delicious tea on your door step every month? What if the tea was selected to create a cozy atmosphere that matched the theme of the book?

The Venn diagram of people who love books and people who love tea is practically a circle.
– Christina Blok

…

Read More »

Filed Under: Features Tagged With: books, boss lady, boss women, entrepreneur, kickstarter, reading, tea

Eight mindfulness tips for stressed parents

March 2, 2016 by Suzanne Leave a Comment

mindfulnessWhen we asked our friends about stress, a lot of them mentioned work, but we also heard a fair amount of anxiety about home life, parenting, and combos of money, love life, preschool and pregnancy. We reached out to an expert on mindfulness (who’s also taught preschool) to help frustrated parents and non-parents find ways to de-stress.

By Elizabeth Foley-Campos

As a veteran preschool teacher, I’ve witnessed parents going through good times and bad. It’s no easy task caring for a classroom of children, so if you’re one of those parents who’ve had a meltdown if front of your child’s caregiver know this: We totally understand you!

In fact, academic circles have reacted to parents’ and educators’ needs for stress management by researching and developing resources such as RULER or the Kindness Curriculum.

I’ve made the transition out of the classroom and into private practice to explore my personal interest in mindfulness. Simply stated, mindfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment. …

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Filed Under: Features, Miscellany Tagged With: mindfulness, motherhood, parenting

Creating a diaper bank for babies in need

February 18, 2016 by Suzanne Leave a Comment

sweet cheeks

Today, we’re kicking off the first in an ongoing series about people doing wonderful, interesting, unusual things with their lives. The first person we’re featuring is a co-worker I’m lucky to know, Megan Fischer. When she mentioned that she was starting a diaper bank a few months ago, I was curious: How do you start a diaper bank? And what, exactly, does that entail? How does she balance working a full-time job, raising two kids and running a nonprofit organization? So I invited her to lunch, and she told me all about it.

Megan Fischer, Sweet Cheeks Diaper Bank

Smart facts:

  • Passion project: Founder and executive director of Sweet Cheeks Diaper Bank
  • Day job: Content developer for an educational technology/publishing company
  • Social Media: Website Twitter Facebook

Domestic facts:

  • Married for six-and-a-half years
  • Two kids, ages 1.5 and 3
  • Lives in Cincinnati, Ohio

When she was researching cloth diapers a few years ago, Megan Fischer stumbled on the term “diaper bank.” She was pregnant with her second child and was shocked to learn that formal support systems, including the government-funded Women, Infants and Children (WIC) or food stamps, don’t cover diaper purchases for low-income families.

“How would that feel as a parent, if I couldn’t afford diapers for my kids?” she asked herself. Her heart tugged at her to investigate, and she learned her hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, didn’t have any regional diaper banks for local families. “I was in my cube at work crying, thinking about it,” she said….

Read More »

Filed Under: Features Tagged With: boss mom, diapers, entrepreneur, nonprofit

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