In this powerful episode of Creatively Speaking: Food for Thought, we are joined by the remarkable Corrie Locke-Hardy, author of The Revolution Will Be Well Fed: Recipes for Creating Community. Corrie’s story is a vibrant intersection of culinary artistry, activism, and ethical publishing. It’s one that will leave you feeling inspired to reimagine how creative pursuits can drive meaningful change. Let’s dive in!
With a background spanning the restaurant industry, education, and social justice, Corrie shares how these experiences converged to form a cookbook that is far more than just a collection of recipes. Instead, The Revolution Will Be Well Fed is a community-centered manifesto and an invitation to use food as a tool for advocacy and connection.
From the very beginning, Corrie approached the publishing process with a strong ethical compass. As Corrie walks us through their self-publishing journey, they highlight the importance of staying rooted in your values while remaining open to unexpected opportunities. Corrie’s alignment with a feminist publisher, which was facilitated by a previous Creatively Speaking guest: Sally Ekus (listen to her episode here!), was both fortuitous and deeply intentional. Corrie’s experience shows how making values-based decisions, such as identifying and implementing ethical publishing practices, can lead to powerful, purpose-driven outcomes.
Corrie emphasizes the importance of collaboration and maintaining an authentic voice. By working closely with their team, including co-creator Michelle, they were able to produce a book that is a true reflection of collective effort. The process wasn’t without challenges, but the result is a project that stands firmly in its purpose.
Together, they made conscious choices that emphasized ethical publishing, marketing, and distribution by partnering with diverse contributors, forgoing mainstream platforms like Amazon, and prioritizing indie bookstores to distribute their work. These decisions echo the book’s mission, which focuses on care, equity, and mutual support.
As The Revolution Will Be Well Fed began to gain attention, Corrie and their team were met with censorship challenges, especially due to creatively titled recipes that address social justice issues head-on (like the cleverly named “Granola Bars, Not Prison Bars”). These hurdles only fueled their commitment to using food as a means of education and resistance.
The episode closes with a conversation about the transformative power of understanding social narratives and staying open to evolution. Corrie encourages listeners to embrace their creative instincts and let those impulses drive impactful action in their communities.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
- 0:00:00 | Corrie’s introduction & background
- 0:02:34 | Corrie’s approach to combining food, education, and social Justice
- 0:05:44 | How to prioritize social justice and activism through ethical publishing
- 0:10:27 | Corrie’s experience preparing their manuscript for agents
- 0:14:06 | Corrie’s book publishing advice for concept development
- 0:19:42 | Corrie’s publishing process and collaboration success
- 0:24:54 | Styling and design collaboration in “The Revolution Will Be Well Fed”
- 0:32:15 | Corrie’s experience prioritizing sustainability in the book publishing process
- 0:45:53 | How to emphasize curiosity and gratitude in learning
Whether you’re a budding food writer, an activist, or someone seeking a fresh approach to publishing, Corrie’s journey is a testament to the power of leading with passion, purpose, and collaboration. This episode is a must-listen for writers-slash-activists who are hoping to follow in Corrie’s footsteps and harness the power of ethical publishing to enact large-scale change.
Episode Resources:
Website: https://wellersmithdesign.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wellersmithdesign/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leannawellersmith/
If you are curious about self-publishing and want to learn more about how we can help, check out our Self-Publishing Services.
Weller Smith Design is a Full-Service Boutique Design Agency that provides publishing, self-publishing, branding, web design, and strategy services. We pride ourselves in being the Boutique Agency of choice for Thought Leaders like you.
