Creativity for a cause
Highly Favored Magazine
A group of like-minded Minnesotans are expressing their creativity to spread the word about the much-needed conversations around addiction and substance use in Minnesota. Highly Favored magazine, based in the Twin Cities, has released its first issue themed around the absence and presence of integrity when referring to drug use and how they are obtained by the public.
“Highly Favored Magazine is a mission-driven publication. We are for people that are familiar with addiction and are willing to talk about their experience through creative expression.” Said, Jesse Veils, Founder and Creative Director of the magazine. Veils provided insight to the meaning behind the name of the publication, “I used [the saying] as a mantra in my own personal recovery journey. I am blessed and highly favored was kind of a way for me to remind myself that I still mattered and so we want people who read it to feel that as well.”
According to the Minnesota Department of Health, opioid-related deaths have doubled since 2019. Those individuals searching for help, are often faced with negativity and stigma surrounding drug use and addiction which makes the ability to seek help, that much harder.
“We definitely exist as a safe platform for people to talk about substances and I think ultimately we want to save lives.” Said Andrew Stam the magazine’s Marketing Director. “We are in the middle of a fentanyl and opioid crisis right now and I think stigma and shame are really isolating and keeping people away from problem-solving to navigate through this so we want to find a way to mitigate the shame and stigma and to allow the conversation to be authentic and to be heard.”
You can visit HighlyFavoredMagazine.com to gain access to the publication.
For more information regarding drug-related resources:
Minnesota Department of Health
Minnesota State Substance Abuse Strategy