Posted 03 February 2021

Watch Josie Tucker’s Pep Talk on using creativity for climate activism

As part of our recent Pep Talk on Instagram Live, climate activist and Adapt studio founder Josie Tucker sat down with our host Steph Fung to share her advice for anyone wanting to follow a similar path. Find the video of the event below, along with some key takeaways from the discussion.

What did I miss?
After sharing her mini-pep talk with us; “If you don’t start, how will you know?”, Josie explained how this sentiment related to her own journey, before sharing countless tips on shaping a creative career in activism. This included everything from finding financial stability to encouraging an employer to work sustainably.

Here’s a guide to some of the biggest talking points:

• How trying lots of roles helped Josie find her way (8:00)
• Making your own job, if nothing else fits (11:00)
• Why using humour is so impactful in activism (15:18)
• Ways to be greener in your creative work (17:15)
• Funding and making money as an activist studio (20:15)
• How to pitch sustainability to an employer (24:10 & 41:00)
• How Adapt developed an identity and tone (26:20)
• How to measure impact (30:13)
• Balancing paid and unpaid work (33.55)
• How to feel like you’re doing enough (38:11)
• Working in a multidisciplinary way (46:00)

What is Pep Talk?
Pep Talk is our monthly Instagram Live event to share relatable, easy-to-process tips in conversation with inspiring creatives.

Each sessions begins with a ‘pep talk’, where a chosen creative gets to share their ultimate advice for anyone who might be feeling a bit stuck, before answering questions submitted by you, our readers.

About Josie Tucker
After studying Illustration and Visual Media at LCC, creative and climate activist Josie graduated from the Royal College of Art’s Visual Communication MA in 2017. Since graduating, Josie worked in a variety of different roles, both in-house and freelance whilst also being the head of visual identity for Brainchild Festival.

In 2017, Josie co-founded ‘climate club’ and creative organisation, Adapt, with designer Richard Ashton. Today, the duo look to use design and humour to communicate climate issues in a new way, with the aim of sharing knowledge, encouraging action and building a community of motivated activists.

Josie’s work with Adapt has set a brilliant example of using creative skills to help bring about positive change. Over the past few years, Josie’s work with Adapt has seen her produce everything from environmental exhibitions, campaigns encouraging people not to be a ‘Fossil Fool’, conversation guides to help navigate awkward party climate chat, and most recently, ‘Protest Gear’, a series of sustainable scarves emblazoned with slogans such as “Clean Up Your Act”.

So if you’re wondering how you can turn your own creative strengths to help the collective cause, or what you can do to be more climate conscious in your own career, this is an essential watch.