do-gooders
these are all people doing it betterish——for some it’s through writing, running, or expressing gratitude. for others it’s through volunteerism, nail painting, or making a pizza every Sunday night. the content of these stories varies quite vastly, but all have the common thread of betterment in some shape or form.
andrea borsuk
Andrea can be caught eating figs when the fig tree in her yard is in bloom. Her favorite color is periwinkle (sometimes sea foam) and enjoys listening to KCRW Eclectic 24 while in her art studio. A person that used strive for unconditional love, Andrea now strives for just a bit of solitude. She can’t imagine life without her daughters and her favorite season is winter in Santa Cruz. Playful, subversive and affectionate, Andrea’s pet peeve is when people say, “it’s all good” or “no worries.” Unbeknown to many, Andrea was featured on the Art Linkletter show when she was in the third grade.
You can see how Andrea continues to paint the world here: www.andreaborsuk.com /// @andreabelcruz
jordan dependahl
Jordan lives in in Brooklyn, New York and enjoys listening to good tunes on days that don't require silence. Her pet peeves consist of getting stuck behind slow pedestrians and overall: miscommunication. She's an autumnal loving Capricorn and can be caught eating ALL the kids snacks when babysitting. A person who used to strive for ego, Jordan now strives for heart.
Curious, sincere & optimistic, Jordan can't imagine life without her true blue pals. Jordan's got a freckle in her left eyeball's iris that looks like a second pupil in weird light. Is she really an alien? Inquire by contacting her at jdependahl@gmail.com /// jordan_deppp
ken knowlton
Ken Knowlton lives in Astoria, New York and can be caught eating ramen when he has a lot of feelings.
His favorite color is green and enjoys listening to movie soundtracks during his workday. He can’t imagine his life without coffee and walks in the park (yeah, really, he said that). Ken strongly prefers autumn to any other season and absolutely can’t stand people who don’t hold doors. Ken is a person who used to strive for money and now strives for happiness & fulfillment.
Curious, goofy and nerdy (the perfect mix for a nonprofit warrior/urban adventurer), believe it or not…Ken can really kill it at karaoke. To find out what his favorite song to sing is, you can inquire by contacting him at kenneth.knowlton@gmail.com /// @sirknowlton
anna reed
Anna lives in Portland, Oregon and her favorite color is gold. A Pisces who loves summer, her pet peeve is when people leave their laundry in the washer or dryer in a building with shared facilities. She can be caught eating avocado toast + an egg when she wakes up and digs listening to Top 40 radio in her car. A person who used to strive for a socially constructed and skewed idea of being a woman, she now strives for being "the best version of myself...which isn't to say I don't still struggle with the first!"
Thoughtful, animated & stylish (she dominates the #dailybling feed), Anna can't imagine life without her family. Unbeknownst to many: Anna had terrible eyesight growing up and wore bifocals from age 4-13. Then one day, she was cured and has not worn glasses or contacts since. To learn her secret to sight, you can contact Anna here: anna.l.reed@gmail.com /// @reedmylips7
calder silcox
Calder Silcox resides in San Francisco, CA and can be caught eating cheese on any given day. A Hall & Oates enthusiast, he can can't imagine life without baseball. Cal's favorite color is blue and enjoys listening to Wait Wait Don't Tell me on a Monday morning. His pet peeve is when people stand on the left side of an escalator and has a deep appreciation for clean transportation. Little known fact about Cal: his first job was giving segway tours of Washington, D.C. To inquire more on how that rolled out you can contact Cal at cal.silcox@gmail.com /// calsef
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kristen chiucarello
Kristen resides in Brooklyn, New York and loves any & all shades of blue. Her favorite season is Fall ("who doesn't love coming out of sticky, hot summer only to be greeted by corduroy trench coats & all the layering opportunities?") and can be caught dancing to Justin Beiber pretty much anywhere. Describing herself as empathetic, selfish and ambitious, Kristen used to strive for likability and now strives for saying "no" more often.
A double leo/cancer rising, Kristen highly dislikes those with poor metro etiquette...particularly those who don't make room for others on a busy train.
Editor-in-chief for Susie Mag and baking extraordinaire, Kristen once upon a time worked at Disney World as a princess. Can you guess which one? Email her your thoughts or ask nicely for a recipe here: kchiucarello@gmail.com /// @cestkristen
tamara filipovic
Tamara was born in Belgrade, Serbia and now lives in Seward, Alaska.
She can be caught eating dessert when the sun rises and will listen to Bossa Nova on any given day.
A lover of all seasons, Tamara can't imagine life without her family. A person who used to strive for perfection and approval, Tamara now strives for living with ease. She likes hugs, sending and receiving snail mail and being within nature. In her next life, Tamara would like to be a particle physicist and a pianist...or cellist. She'd love to connect & share more with you at ljubavuhhuh@gmail.com /// @modern_akhmatova
lauren nemchik
Lauren lives in NYC and can be caught listening to Brick House on a fat day.
Her favorite color is whatever shade pops up on her mood ring and prefers Fall over any other season.
She enjoys eating carrots and hummus when drinking a beer because - balance.
Lauren cannot imagine life without paint, pizza, her cats and her main man/pizzeria partner in crime.
Her pet peeve is when people stand too close to the baggage claim conveyer belt; "just take a few steps back, man, then we can all see."
A human who once strived for attention and wealth, Lauren now strives for sleep, maintaining a hungry passion, and "enough cash to pay my rent and get me a chai tea every once in a while."
A hustling homebody, here's an interesting fact not many know about Lauren: she used to write content for Mary Kate & Ashley's website when she was in middle school. Her cousin ran their site and would reach out to Lauren on the reg. Lauren would write daily tips during 3rd period study hall. How did she turn that site into the #1 visited teen site in America? Inquire at lnemchik@gmail.com /// @lnemchik @sundaynightpizzanight
nina shirkey
Heartbreak House: The Studio on Block Street
Nina lives in Fayetteville, Arkansas and was born in the same room she now sleeps in today.
She can be caught eating pickles & cheese whenever hungry/all the time.
An avid NPR listener, Nina cannot imagine her life without her dog, Ozark.
Optimistic, indecisive, and witty, she strives not to take herself or anything too seriously. And with that: know you can often find Nina dancing to Rihanna or Beyonce pretty much everywhere and anywhere. You can learn more about her journey of restoring the house here; feel free to contact her at /// @nynabird
gregory stock
Gregory lives in the Mission District of San Francisco and his favorite season is summer. He can often be found eating potatoes (“I’m from the Midwest”) and really can’t stand when pedestrians decide to walk in front of you, only then to slow down when navigating the streets.
Gregory’s favorite color is seafoam and can be caught listening to Frank Sinatra on a rainy day. On the contrary, you can also catch him dancing to Queen on any given sidewalk. A person who used to strive for leadership, Gregory now strives for community. Gregarious & funny, Gregory cannot imagine life without family. His favorite place in the entire world? The Farallon Islands, which are actually are part of the city and county of San Francisco. Be sure to check out Gregory’s latest project, Color Field, a monthly e-news of what Gregory is seeing, tasting, doing, reading and more /// @theradiantbaby
raphael davison
Raphael lives in New York City and is an avocado enthusiast.
She can be caught listening to Tame Impala on a rainy day and her favorite color is purple. Though Raphael despises loogie hawkers, she loves poodles and will dance to Whitney Huston in any given grocery store.
Curious, passionate & harmonious, Raphael is a person who once strived for instant love and now strives for unconditional love. Little known fact: Raphael gets anxious when looking at images of the bottom of the ocean (makes sense for a Libra).
You can inquire & follow along her creative whims by reaching Raphael at raphaeldavison@gmail.com /// @crateronmercury
julie flynn
What Good is a Book Club When the Sky is Falling?
Julie resides in San Francisco, CA and her favorite color is red.
She can be caught dancing to Whitney Houston in her car, and listening to Oddisee on a weekday in the office.
She can't imagine her life without succulents...but could do without obnoxiously loud eating noises <-- note: that's her pet peeve.
Energetic, creative, and hardworking, Julie prefers a New England Fall over any other season. A person who used to strive for being liked by all, Julie now strives for being at peace with herself. Unknown to most, Julie's first job in high school was working at a yarn store helping people pick out yarns, patterns, and teaching them how to knit. To get more on the knitty gritty behind Julie's passion for books, bikes, urbanism & painting, contact her at julieeflynn@gmail.com /// @jflyzenberg
marla novo
Marla resides in Santa Cruz California and her favorite color is turquoise. She can be found eating popcorn on the job, while reading, in deep thought...pretty much wherever, whenever.
Optimistic, goofy and accepting, Marla used to strive for happiness, and now strives for more happiness.
Her pet peeve is when people end emails with "cheers" (unless they are from the U.K.) and loves dancing to her teenager's music in the living room, if they allow it. Though Marla has a drivers license, she never drives. You can inquire about her modes of transportation and latest nail polish recommendations at marlanovo@hotmail.com/// @marlanovoe
whitney rickards wilde
Whitney lives outside of Sacramento and is a fascinated, patient & scrambled Taurus.
Her favorite color is blue and she can be caught eating donuts when in a moment of triumph. She can't imagine life without love and will dance to anything in the grocery store. A person who used to strive for being right, Whitney now strives for being fair. Her favorite weather is Alaska in the summertime and she gets worked up over rude drivers, and people who don't pick up after their dog(s). A rare fact about Whitney: she was almost born in her Dad's 1970 Volvo. To find out where Ms. Wilde entered this wild world, inquire at: msrickards@gmail.com.
vanessa veiock
Vanessa lives in Fairfax, Virginia and has worked at six different elementary schools within seven years. She has traveled to 50 countries and put 8,000 miles on her car this past summer roadtripping across the West.
Her favorite color is fern green and she fuels her runs with Buddha Bowl popcorn. An adventurous and curious nomad, Vanessa can be caught dancing to the beats of her very own breath (yoga is her ballet).
She highly dislikes seeing people on their cell phones in the great outdoors (“scratch that. cell phones altogether; screw cell phones”). That said, Vanessa can’t imagine life without nature’s fresh air.
Vanessa used to strive for handstands and now strives for balance. How does such a wanderlusting Virgo find balance on the go? Feel free to unpack that question & more by contacting Vanessa at /// @vveiock