Hi, friend!

Let’s say this off the bat:

Working in social impact can be a bit depressing.

Right? If you stop and sit with all the pain, suffering, and hardship implied when we say there’s a need to “create positive change”…it can be a lot.

Which is why we wanted to explore alternative ways of envisioning this work. And in Episode 5 of the Issue Space podcast, ✨ The Lighter Side of Change: Joy, Levity, & Imagination in Impact Work ✨, talking with cultural consultant Jess Weiner and narrative strategist April Callen, that’s exactly what we did.

In a world (and workforce) where tragedy is always on display, believing it’s possible to take down our problems through the lighter sides of the human experience — like using our imaginations or indulging in play — can feel counterintuitive, even trite. Like, we’re trying to respect people’s pain, so shouldn’t we carry it with us in our work?

But our guests don’t stay in that headspace long. Whether they’re teaching a partner to treat social impact as creative inspiration to embrace (instead of a publicity crisis to avoid), or challenging a harmful policy as ‘just an idea’ that can be replaced by imagining another, Jess and April combat social harms in ways that feel as positive, expansive, and even fun as they are impactful.

Sounds like a reason to smile. 🙂

Watch below or listen to the episode: To catch this week’s episode and explore others, find the Issue Space podcast on Apple, Spotify, and these platforms. Follow, share, and review if you like what you hear!

Thanks for joining us! Take good care,

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