Zero Waste Creatives is a platform created by Fe Amarante and Brandi Parker to address the sustainability of the creative profession. They emphasize the need for creatives to use fewer resources from the environment and waste fewer of their own resources. The platform has gained traction with hundreds of listeners and received positive feedback. Fe and Brandi have been invited to deliver keynotes at How Design Live and Sustainable Packaging Coalition events. They have also launched a survey called Creative Voices Heard to gather insights on the well-being of creative professionals. The survey responses will be anonymized and shared publicly to promote open-source knowledge sharing. In this conversation, Fe Amarante and Brandi Parker discuss the challenges of balancing personal and professional responsibilities. They share their experiences of caring for family members while also growing their businesses. They emphasize the importance of creating space for emotions and being transparent about what they're going through. They highlight the need for support and understanding from both colleagues and bosses. They also discuss the significance of trust and vulnerability in building strong relationships and teams. Overall, they emphasize the importance of integrating personal and professional lives and allowing space for both to coexist.

Takeaways:

• Fe and Brandi have been invited to deliver keynotes at How Design Live and Sustainable Packaging Coalition events.
• They have launched a survey called Creative Voices Heard to gather insights on the well-being of creative professionals, and the results will be shared publicly to promote open-source knowledge sharing.
• Balancing personal and professional responsibilities can be challenging, but it's important to create space for both and integrate them into your life.
• Being transparent about what you're going through can help build trust and understanding with colleagues and bosses.
• Seeking support from others, whether it's friends, family, or therapists, is crucial in navigating difficult times.
• Allowing yourself to feel and process emotions is essential for overall well-being and creativity.
• Building strong relationships and teams requires trust and vulnerability.

Music by Brandi Parker; Branding by Fe Amarante; amazing astronaut images by Pexels artists RDNE Stock Project at https://www.pexels.com/collections/mars-341zou4/