The writer, film critic and host of the ‘Creators in Covid’ podcast shares her favorite VERO accounts.

Jonita Davis is the film critic, writer, and pop culture junkie behind The Black Cape Magazine. She has studied comics, film, tv, and pop culture as an academic, and later rolled those studies into her work as an independent critic and freelance writer.

Her most recent podcast show 'Creators in Covid' explores the multitude of circumstances that Jonita's network of creators faced over lockdown; a fascinating series of personal conversations about diversification, survival, work/family balance, and opportunity. You can find links to each episode on Jonita's profile, , and here's more about the project in her own words.

"I love telling stories, studying them, listening to them. We can learn so much about a community, a culture, a society by sampling its art and listening to the stories of the people who inhabit those spaces. Stories reveal our hopes as a collective, our dreams, our history, and give a hint to what our future holds. They are a verbal archive of our existence for generations to come. That’s why I created the 'Creators in COVID' Podcast.

The Coronavirus pandemic is the biggest event of my lifetime and to the majority of people alive today. More people have died in America from the virus than in our modern wars and even 9/11. The lockdown was a first in modern times as well. We need to document this. However, history in this country is skewed toward the wealthiest and whitest citizens. Black creators and creators of color are almost always left out of these conversations. Try finding information on artists, writers, and actors during the Spanish Flu pandemic of the early 1900s. It’s not there.

'Creators in COVID' is my contribution to the archives of the COVID-19 virus pandemic. It will add stories from Black and Brown creators and women while also capturing a snapshot of what the artists, actors, photographers, writers, etc. were doing when the virus changed the world. It will also serve as a reference point post-COVID when there are talks about adapting to society. Our voices are relevant and so are our issues. Why not add our experiences to the conversation?

In addition to archiving, I also hope the stories in the podcast work to normalize coping in our communities. It’s a sometimes-taboo topic that we must bring into the open. Stories often reveal things to us about ourselves, and the 'Creators in COVID' podcast does that."

In between Jonita's busy schedule, she kindly spoke of her favorite accounts in the VERO community.

The NiceCast

TheNiceCast is an account with great photos that are often inspiring. They also feature thought-provoking content that leads to some great conversations. I also love the education on Indian culture that The NiceCast features as well along with some helpful tech information.

Steve Kasan

I have added so many movies to my digital libraries because of Steve’s account. He is either in a cool indie film or talking about one. I also love his photos which make me want to grab a camera.

Clement Eastwood

Clement Eastwood has an inspirational account. I love seeing a poem or verse each day accompanied by a breathtaking photo. It makes a good start to the day. I sometimes use his posts to help me with journal prompts.

Lissa Sakura

Lissa Sakura posts pics and films about Japan, Indonesia, and other countries in a part of the world I have yet to explore. I feel like I am there with her as she posts. Lissa posts some great Japanese dramas as well. Many of them are available on Netflix, and yes, I have watched them. I love adding some new films to my weekly viewing schedule.

Tom

VERO's Head of Community Tom posts something every day that I can use. Whether it's new music, books, or movies. There is always something to explore when you follow Tom. #FridayFollow always brings new people to connect with as well. New VERO users should follow Tom. His account is like a guided tour through the communities, people, and events on this platform.