Compassion

Photo by Maria Oswalt on Unsplash

Black Lives Matter (and are needed in the Publishing Industry)

By Kristy Draper / June 8, 2020 /

I am writing today with a heavy but optimistic heart. The recent killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and Tony McDade, are just a few of the many Black lives that have been taken in the long history of systemic racism, oppression, and killing of Black people in the United States and across…

Read More

The Art of Solutionaries

By Kristy Draper / July 9, 2019 /

A friend I made on a recent Artist Date I recently started reading The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, and taking myself on artist’s dates. The dates are a way to fill your creative tank and find inspiration for ideas, projects, or to help with a creative block. I’ve only been on a few dates…

Read More

A Friendly Fourth

By Kristy Draper / July 1, 2019 /

Beyond Meat Burger ​The Fourth of July and all of the celebrations are only a few days away! Family gatherings, outings with friends, BBQs (vegan, of course), and splashing in the pool are great ways to celebrate. ​I have spent many Fourth of Julys poolside, next to a BBQ grill, or spending the day at…

Read More

Why Should We Care or Why We Should Care?

By Kristy Draper / June 18, 2019 /

​The simple placement of a word or punctuation mark can completely change the meaning of a sentence, which can change the purpose of a paragraph, an essay, a book, or even the essence of how we live and what we believe. I am working towards adding more positivity to my life through my language, both…

Read More

Cherry City Vegfest!

By Kristy Draper / June 10, 2019 /

​I participated in the inaugural Cherry City Vegfest in Salem, Oregon, this past weekend! And wow, what an incredible turnout by the community! This being the first (of hopefully many!) Vegfest in Salem, no one knew what to expect. The event started at 10:00 AM, and there was a busy and steady flow of folks…

Read More

Running + Vegan = A How to Guide, By Steven Draper

By Kristy Draper / April 9, 2019 /

Steven running the 2019 ORRC Champoeg 30K. The American Heritage dictionary defines a vegan as a vegetarian who only eats plant-based foods, and avoids using products deriving from animals. In other words, a “vegan lifestyle” is the avoidance of any animal-derived products for food, clothing, entertainment, commodities, transportation, beauty, fashion, or experimentation, whereas a “vegan…

Read More

Veganism: It Is Not About Us.

By Kristy Draper / March 26, 2019 /

​There are many different reasons why people go vegan – for the sake of the animals, to help stop and reverse the damage done to our planet by animal agriculture and factory farming, to prevent or cure a disease, to improve their athletic performance, or just because people are following a trend. I’ve always believed…

Read More

Living with Doubts and Learning to be Uncomfortable

By Kristy Draper / March 18, 2019 /

​Many self-doubts stem from moving outside one’s comfort zone. We have been conditioned to seek and build comfort, safety, and a secure future. But in that process, we lose the ability to know ourselves and our limits honestly. In turn, we restrict the size of our comfort zone. I didn’t take many risks growing up,…

Read More

What is Your Time Worth?

By Kristy Draper / March 11, 2019 /

​I usually increase my reading during the winter months and recently finished three books that left me contemplating many things. But mainly, they left me with the question – what is my time worth? The books I read were, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, and Meet the Frugalwoods. I have…

Read More

Happy International Women’s Day!

By Kristy Draper / March 8, 2019 /

From Women’s eNews March is Women’s History Month, first recognized in the United States in 1987, and March 8th is International’s Women’s Day. Events and recognition for International Women’s Day date back to 1911, in which we started celebrating the advancements and achievements of women in the social, economic, cultural, and political outlets.  A call to action…

Read More