What this space is about.

Hey! My name is Meghan Stanford. I am a Black social worker, artist, and traveler based in Los Angeles. Rooibos is a space where I will be sharing my experiences and reflections abroad and at home relating to art, social justice, philosophy, and culture. From exposure to people experiencing homelessness abroad, to saviorism, to social psychology, to art (and how it all ties into philosophy and social justice), this is a space for me to share with you all the explorations and experiences that inspire me most in the hopes that they do the same for you. 

As a social worker, I do both micro (clinical art and yoga therapy) and macro (arts activism, research, advocacy, policy and systems change) work. I believe strongly in the need for social workers and anyone interested in our future, to give energy to both the micro and macro. My good friend shared a metaphor with me: one day a baby is floating down a river and someone spots it and saves it from the river. The next day, there are two babies floating down the river, and more each day. So many people gather everyday to save the babies from the river, but no one goes upstream to figure out why babies keep floating down the river. That is how I think about both micro and macro social work-we need to get babies from the river, while we solve the root cause. This is also how I approach this space-focusing on both my curiosity and vision for change. If you’re here, you probably share that vision. My hope is to grow knowledge and community so that this vision comes to life.

I sincerely hope you enjoy this space as it will allow us to grow, have fun, take action, and explore together while also tangibly supporting me in my ability to get curious in the search for change and healing. More than anything, I am grateful to have a space to share my thoughts and research so that they no longer live in my head. I hope to inspire a thought, action, or art piece. Warmly, I welcome you. Humbly, I thank you. 

In curiosity and love, 

Meghan