The other part about creativity is being social and building great community around me. I drag my introvert self out of the house to be a part of some very nice, low key groups – I’m in a collective and also a community of practice with other creatives – and this really feeds me.
Where do you find your best creative inspiration? Bike riding. I really don’t like exercising but once I’m on my bike everything changes – I start daydreaming, singing, smiling at strangers, and it’s easier to wander. Usually by the time I’m home I’ve solved the thing I was thinking about. I’m also really inspired by other people, but for unlocking the things inside my brain I need to be in nature.
What’s the one creative advice or tip you wish you’d known as a young person? I wish someone had told me it’s going to take a lifetime to build the art that you know you’re capable of. It’s okay that you have no idea what that is going to look like. But you have to start somewhere. So start.
Who would you like to hear speak at CreativeMornings? I’d love to hear Cease Wyss, who’s an interdisciplinary artist and the Indigenous Plant Diva, talk about her work. She connects food security, art-making, her traditional knowledge, and always speaks truth to power.
How would you describe what you do in a single sentence to a stranger? I listen and draw what’s happening at meetings – on giant paper – so people can see connections, solve problems, and lead. If you were a stranger at a bus stop I might also tell you how much I love it, and how excited people get to see themselves be heard.
If you had fifteen extra minutes each day, what would you do with them? I should say something like “write more” or “phone someone” but honestly, a better sandwich is always a great return on investment. I would put a lot more effort into my sandwiches. But that might only take up 8 minutes, so maybe the other 7 minutes could be spent on better posture. Artist self-care, friends.
