RECAP: Readings on Recovery - Instagram Live Edition
Last week I led the first-ever Instagram Live version of Readings on Recovery. What began as an NYC-based IRL reading series in 2017 has adapted to these unprecedented times. Six amazing sober people from all over the country “called in” to video chat about recovery. Leading this event through Instagram Live lets people participate from all over the world. 300ish people logged in to check it out while about 50ish people stayed the whole time, remaining highly engaged.
This Instagram Live event showed me that the only thing that matters the message. I learned a lot about letting go of perfectionism. On a live feed, there’s no editing. There were countless moments of technical difficulty but I didn’t have time to care. I just had to laugh and go with it. During awkward moments I joked about how my forehead looks and that I sometimes think of getting Botox. People laughed (or “sent lots of hearts”). We all got through it together. Based on the success of this event, I can definitely see more online Readings on Recovery events in the future.
When leading IRL events, there are so many external anxieties:
- Making sure my appearance will photograph well
- Hoping the photographer will arrive on time
- Negotiating food and drink sponsorships (and making sure they arrive on time, too)
- Managing logistics with the event space and their event curators
- Arriving early to set up
- Staying late to take everything down
- Managing a team of 5+ volunteers to arrange the space, decorate, check people in through an app, serve the sponsored food and drink, keep an eye on each speaker’s time allotment, and so*much*more*
- Rolling with the punches when some of
things fail to happen as perfectly as I want them to
With an Instagram Live event, the majority of that stress went out the window:
- I haven’t worn makeup in weeks and my outfit didn’t matter since viewers could only see shoulders and up
- I took screenshots of each speaker and decided not to use them
- Food and drink sponsors were unnecessary because the attendees were in their own homes
- The event space was my bedroom. The only logistical hoop to jump was making sure our dog was in a different room in case she barked.
- I logged in exactly when it started and logged out the moment it ended. Zero clean up or volunteers were required.
Here’s some info on the speakers and a take away quote from each of them:
Bre Scullark
Bio: Bre is a Harlem native who you may recognize from America’s Next Top Model cycle 5. After finishing the show at a strong third place, she went on to lead a successful Modeling, Acting and Corresponding career. She was part of the Liberation Prison Yoga’s (LPY) teacher training staff for Trauma-informed Yoga. Bre is currently in charge of a Yoga program for Young Women at Rikers Island and has been actively teaching incarcerated transgender women, women in Protective Custody, and incarcerated Young Adults for the past four years. She also started and led a program for Correctional Officers at the Manhattan Detention Center. Bre created The Urban Peace Squad (UPS), a project bringing donation-based yoga workshops to Underserved Communities.
Takeaway Quote: Cope With Quarantine Anxiety by: (1) Deciding to accept reality (2) Feeling your feelings (3) Embrace life without resistance - let go or be dragged (4) Tell the truth about it all
Ginny Hogan
Bio: Ginny hogan is an LA-based stand-up comedian and writer. She’s the author of Toxic Femininity in the Workplace, out now!
Takeaway Quote: “The world was my bedroom again”, from her hilarious and honest essay about sober sex in The Guardian.
Shari Hampton
Bio: Shari is a Speaker, Coach, Blogger, Advocate, and founder of Served Up Sober; a non-profit committed to creating holistic recovery workshops for women of color in San Diego
Takeaway Quote: “There’s no such time that we can’t make something useful out of it”, from her heart-wrenching essay about losing her father and why she stopped drinking.
Chris Marshall
Bio: Chris Marshall is the founder of Sans Bar, a sober bar based in Austin Texas that tours across the US hosting alcohol-free pop-up events. Prior to opening Sans Bar in 2017, Chris was a substance abuse counselor for 8 years in residential and outpatient treatment centers. He’s been sober since February
Takeaway Quotes: “The pandemic is just another Wednesday”, “My longest relationship has been with loneliness”, “Our eyes speak in a language of miracles”. After reading his brilliant, spoke-word-
Kelly Fitzgerald-Junco
Kelly is a woman in recovery from a substance use disorder, trauma, and sexual assault. She is a writer and recovery coach who has gained a voice through her popular blog, The Adventures of a Sober Señorita. She is currently Head of Marketing for This Naked
Takeaway Quote: “I hated that I had to rely on someone else’s story because of my drinking”, from her forthcoming memoir.
Rosebud Baker
Bio: Rosebud is a comedian who has been featured on Comedy Central’s The Ringers, Amazon’s Inside Jokes, and on tour with Amy Schumer. Check out her podcasts: host of Devils Advocate w/ Rosebud Baker & Find Your Beach
Takeaway Quote: “Early sobriety felt like I’d taken a bath on the inside.”
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Tawny is an NYC-based writer, public speaker, and event producer who’s passionate about smashing stigmas associated with both sexuality and sobriety. Ruby Warrington dubbed Tawny “The Sober Sexpert”. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
Read Tawny’s published words in Playboy, Men’s Health, Huffington Post, The Temper, Audiofemme, SheSaid, Recovery Campus, WorkIt Health, and NY Yoga & Life Magazine. Tawny shared her recovery story on stages all across the world: IOGT World Congress, New York State Recovery Conference, United Federation of Teachers, and more.
In addition to writing and public speaking, she’s the founder of the Readings on Recovery™ reading series and SobrieTea Party™ and co-host of Recovery Rocks podcast with Lisa Smith. She’s also a charity volunteer with Road Recovery and an award-winning filmmaker of the recovery documentary, Fixed Up.
