New Twin Cities magazine is made by and for those who've dealt with substance abuse
MINNEAPOLIS -- There's a new magazine based right here in the Twin Cities, and it's what the creators all have in common that makes it unique.
A room full of artists focused on a heavy subject.
Everyone in this south Minneapolis circle has a story to bring to the table. Jesse Veils, a southern Minnesota native, was a photography major. Andrew Stam's from rural Iowa and was a theatre major.
"Creativity has always been fostered in my family, I ended up going to college for theatre, and then found so much passion in playwriting and becoming a storyteller. Even in my childhood I was telling so many imaginative stories," Stam said.
Amidst the stillness of the pandemic, with their creative outlets closed, their energy went to some dark places.
"I was by myself in a new city by myself and couldn't go anywhere, so I kind of got into the drug scene there and lost myself for a bit," Veils said.
"The pandemic happened, wasn't working and just really fell away from creativity, and substance use kind of took hold," Stam said. "Kind of distracted me, I was escaping from life."
And finally, enough was enough.
"It was a lot of waking up to the fact I was miserable out there. I just wasn't having a good time anymore," Veils said.
"My meth use was starting to mimic mental illness and a dear friend of mine was like, 'You're not well, and I think you need to seek help,'" Stam said.
Both of them did and joined this circle of sobriety and strength.
They quickly connected and quickly collaborated.
"We had so many creative juices flowing in that conversation and realized that we had similar ideas," Veils said. "And so that is really kind of when I realized, OK, maybe this is somebody who will actually take this seriously and we can do it."
They started what they call a collaboration of substance familiar creatives -- Highly Favored magazine.
It's full of photography, poetry and candid interviews on recovery options all from people who get it.
"There are some really talented people in active use, active abuse or who have chosen recovery," Veils said.
Aaron Joshua Perra, a Blaine native, is one of them.
"I have struggled with addiction since 2002, and so my journey in recovery has been a lot," Perra said.
Amidst it all, it was a college professor who ignited his passion and his hope.
"His name was Mr. Cortol, and he pulled me aside one day and he's like, 'Don't ever quit writing, you are definitely a poet.' I don't want to cry -- and so I took that and ran with it," he said.
He's a newly featured magazine writer, and he shared a bit of his writing with WCCO.
"Running away, far away, to only be sinking, sinking in quicksand," Perra said. "I can see your beautiful inner beast, how the thought of you is so bright blue, your skin as soft as a morning dew."
His poem is amongst a bounty of content in Highly Favored's first official issue.
"Where I was and where I'm sitting right now is kind of surreal for me," Veils said. "Less than a year, you can turn things around, just by having a common purpose or something to get out of bed for is really important, I think, on the road to recovery.
"I finally have a life I don't want to escape from anymore," Stam said. "I really want to be present, and presence is really important in my recovery."
Thanks in large part to this publication with a purpose.
"I mean ultimately I think we really want to save lives," Stam said.
The first issue of Highly Favored magazine is available online. They are also taking submissions for their next issue. Click here for more information.