The Whimsy and Depth of Depressed Cake Shop

I mean, even before you see the baked goods available at
Depressed Cake Shop, the name alone is good for a laugh. Because
what could be less depressing than a cake shop? And then you see
the storm cloud cookies or the cupcakes with gray frosting and
the joke gets even funnier. The world of depression? It can be
pretty hilarious at times. Depressed Cake Shop isn’t fixed to one
location, rather it’s a series of pop-up shops selling
funny/bleak sweets to benefit local mental health charities. We
speak with Valerie Van Galder, the CEO of the organization that
helps make all the little shops possible.


We also meet Sascha Biesi, co-owner of Skull and Cakebones, a
bakery near Austin, Texas that has been hosting Depressed Cake
Shops every May for years. And we get Sascha’s own story of a
life struggling with depression, bipolar losses, and devastating
grief.


Both Sascha and Valerie also talk about the connection between
mental illness, baking, art, and drawing people together.


Go to DepressedCakeShop.org to learn more, get involved, and bear
witness to the cakes! Follow Depressed Cake Shop on Twitter
@depressedcake, Instagram @depressedcakeshop, and on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/DepressedCakeShop.


Visit the Skull & Cakebones website at
www.skullandcakebones.com or visit the bakery at 3991 E Hwy 290
A, Unit A, Dripping Springs, Texas 78620.


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Help is available right away.


The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 or 1-800-273-8255,
1-800-273-TALK


Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741.


International suicide hotline numbers available
here: https://www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines


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John’s acclaimed memoir, The Hilarious World of Depression, is
now available in
paperback. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250209566/thehilariousworldofdepression


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