Sarah Amantini · Arts & Sustainability Podcaster · Spotlight on Italy

Sarah Amantini · Arts & Sustainability Podcaster · Spotlight on Italy

Art is invaluable. It provides us insight in history, as well as an instrument to transform unspeakable, abstract thoughts into something concrete. However art is subjective and the viewer’s perspective may not always coincide with the artist’s intention. The differences in the viewer’s perspective and the artist’s intention conjoin through the artist’s process. The work that The Creative Process does is important because it highlight the importance of the process above all else, above the product, above subjective opinions, above critiques. The storytelling in these podcasts give us insight into the artist’s mind when creating their piece: their inspirations, the emotions put into it, their initial intentions that may differ from their final intentions since the process often transforms them, the emotional and personal value of their art. 

By listening to some of The Creative Process’ podcasts, you get to know all the factors that went into making their work, all the changes, the personal experience, the contextual historical events; its like listening to an art historian trying to interpret Michelangelo but from the direct’s artist perspective, therefore the absolute indisputable truth. 

Through my collaboration with The Creative Process, I am experiencing what its like to be part of the modern art world. I feel like the idea of podcasts to tell the stories of artists is an ingenious idea that could prove invaluable in the future. I am suggesting new artists that I believe have beautiful stories to tell about their process and assist in the making of the podcasts. 

With my minor in Art history, one day I would like to own an art gallery and make it my own. I want to give great artists the chance to expose their underestimated art. A couple years ago, through my art course in school, I had some experience on how to organize an art exhibition. Me and my classmates all had to share a space to expose our pieces, and we worked together to create a cohesive exhibition. 

 

 

I love the outdoors, and I’ve grown lucky enough to be able to travel and experience a lot of it. Every year with my family we go camping in Lake George, which I think is one of the most beautiful sceneries I’ve ever seen. Parts of its beauty comes from the fact that they’ve successfully preserved its landscape and water by instating specific regulations and making sure the visitors respect the land. My grandfather has been going there for about 30 years and he says it’s barely changed. The experience is totally immersive. We usually go there for 6 days with tents and food and firewood and we abandon all of our phones and computers (also because there is no service), and we just hike, read, swim in the lake, make fires, eat smores. 

 

Personally I’m very invested in sustainability and I pay attention to my actions and how they affect the planet. Although I’m not totally vegetarian, I rarely eat meat, and if I do I make sure the meat is coming from places that produce it in a healthy manner. I try my best to follow the 5RS pledge (Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Rot, Recycle): I recycle everything, try to use the least amount of plastic possible, always bring reusable bags to the grocery stores, avoid food waste. 

https://sa7569a.wixsite.com/saveourgorillas

Dr. Ali Hussain · International Voices Contributing Editor

Dr. Ali Hussain · International Voices Contributing Editor

My main creative focus right now is my institution, Nostalgic Remembrance: Art in Memoirs (NR), that I founded in 2018, with a mission statement to focus on the sacred dimensions of the creative process and contemporary culture and the creative dimensions of the Sacred. Since founding this project two years ago, we have put together retreats, book talks, events and publications situated squarely within this focus. These include retreats on the spirituality of Star Wars, the Sufi principles of the creative process, the mysticism of Khalil Gibran and the Sufi metaphysics of imagination. Alongside this educational tract, I continue to self-publish various works, some of which may be considered "performance" (i.e. creative writing) while others fall under the category of academic research.

In the former category, I include works like Art in Memoirs: Setting Forth, The Souk of Nostalgia: A Childhood Between Rivers and Mountains, Mystical Musings of a Contemporary Dervish and several blogs on the HuffingtonPost. In the latter category, I include my articles such as "The Metaphysics of Creativity: Imagination in Sufism" which was published in a Brill volume titled: Imagination and Art: Explorations in Contemporary Theory and "Ibn al-'Arabi and Joseph Campbell: Akbarian Mythology and the Metaphysics of Contemporary Art". Altogether, these three tracts: education, performance and research, form the spirit and movement of NR.

My plans for the future are to continue to grow my artistic self and NR in these three pivots, with an emphasis first on performance, education then research. A dimension that I would like to introduce, as an interstice between performance and education is conversations, very much akin to the podcast medium that The Creative Process has pursued. In this regard, I'm influenced and drawn not only to The Creative Process podcast but also similar endeavors, most importantly James Lipton's brilliant Inside the Actor's Studio, Kevin Pollak's Chat Show, Krista Tippett's On Being podcast or even more academically flavored alternatives such as UC Berkeley's Conversations With History and perhaps more culturally popular forms, such as Bill Moyers celebrated sitdown with Joseph Campbell that eventually become immortalized in The Power of Myth.

I'm happy to have already begun this journey of creative conversations on my Instagram page (@dr.ali.hussain) in a weekly program titled "Art n' Motion", where I interview a different artist every session and speak with them about the sacred - and profane - dimensions of their creative process. I have completed 7 episodes so far, before taking a short break. I hope to reinvigorate the series again soon, with the energy I hope to harness from collaborating and working with The Creative Process.

My mantra in this regard is a Qur'anic imperative: "Tell stories so that people might reflect". My entire work and journey as an artist essentially revolves around two themes: a) the co-incidence of the mystical experience and creative process. The source where Shakespeare and Al Pacino derive their inspiration is the same spring from which Ibn Arabi and Rumi also drink into their poetry. This renders the artist as a translator, someone who travels and fluctuates in an interstice, between the ineffable and tangible. We, since I'd like to consider myself an artist, try to capture an ocean of meaning in a captivating drop, recognizing the immense responsibility that comes with this journey, yet jumping into it blindly, like embracing an abyss.

At the intersection of this creative process of translation, we artists are also unfolding the mechanisms of storytelling and what it means to tell a story. It means to externalize a meaning residing in the soul into infinite words, colors, sounds, or images, in a procession. One of the most memorable descriptions of this process that I heard - or so I think - Steven Spielberg paint is that all of his films represent either his inner fears (e.g. Jaws) or fascinations (E.T., Close Encounters of the Third Kind). By making movies about these fears or fascinations, he externalizes a dormant story and shares it with an audience, whence his fears dissipate and fascinations grow. I remember - or, again, I hope - he said: "I feel like a gladiator and my audience is an army of gladiators and we are going to fight and conquer my fears". 

In my own work, I envision a narrative unfolding where we can host Sufi metaphysics - for me personally -  and the creative process in conversations rendered in a universal breath, so as to decipher what it means to be creative and artistic in life, not only in the totality of our vocations and crafts, but also just as human beings, as a medium for inner and outer healing. In this regard, I hope to receive insights in all these areas throughout my collaboration with The Creative Process, through conversations and most importantly, to internalize Chuck Close's maxim, that has been my shortcoming in many ways as an artist: "Inspiration is for amateurs, the rest of us just show up and get to work!" Although I believe inspiration is indispensable, work - I also believe - is the gratitude we show for the inspiration, when it comes, from wherever one believes it comes. Work is like a shaman dance, asking heavens for more inspiration. 

My first serious attempt at creative writing evolved serendipitously in 2012, during a crazy summer when I was applying for doctoral studies. I was transitioning from completing a masters in the sciences to a PhD in the humanities and had to read about 400 books and articles to acquaint myself with how to 'academically' discuss and dissect my own faith of birth, Islam. Little did I know that the real reward of this massive undertaking was an underlying creative storm that had brewed inside. I found myself elated at the prospect of meditating at the interstice between Arabic and English, a threshold that I continue to explore in all my creative writings.

And so, I began my creative journey by writing The Khayal [Imagination] of a Coffee Cup, first in Arabic then English. This two part short story I published in my first collection, Mystical Musings of a Contemporary Dervish. The story slows down time immensely to focus on a cup of coffee in the hand of Spectre, the protagonist. Quickly, however, the movement of the story begins to connect imaginal threads from the aroma and texture of the coffee to the scenic winter outside his window and the memory of autumn that had just passed a few months prior. 

This is when I realized that my relationship with nature is very awkward, to word it aptly. I do not consciously do enough 'active' work to protect the environment, but also subconsciously hope that the significant place which nature occupies in my writing counts as a contribution in this regard. For me, Autumn is a deeply creative season. I can almost smell inspiration in the texture of falling leaves and their lingering indecisive imminent death combined with pure life/rebirth. I discovered during the process of writing my imaginative autobiography, The Souk of Nostalgia: A Childhood Between Rivers and Mountains that I remember and am more interested in places and textures from my past than people and characters.

In this light, nature for me holds a quintessential importance as a creative catalyst. Its protection and preservation is not merely an attempt to save our present moment, but our memories and nostalgic traces that breathe our forthcoming imminent creative inspirations. Nature is a fragile thread interweaved within our identity...

  • This is a montage of works by artists who enrolled in the first online workshop I taught on the metaphysics of the creative process titled: "The Art of God" in 2018: https://youtu.be/MWQJmrmWB-0

    • This is a very recent short experiment of amateur filmmaking - an old passion of mine - with my own writing narrated in my voice in the background: https://youtu.be/wlEz6TifacY

    • All 7 episodes of my video podcast interviews with artists can be found on the IGTV playlist "Art n' Motion" of my Instagram page (@dr.ali.hussain).

  • Some attached pdfs of my writings:

    • Mystical Musings of a Contemporary Dervish

    • Art in Memoirs: Setting Forth

    • The Souk of Nostalgia: A Childhood Between Rivers and Mountains

    • Ibn Arabi and the Art of Being. This is an interview that I participated in with art journalist Vittoria Benezine, as part of an artist collective that I'm a part of called Raise Karma. https://www.raisekarma.com/blog/2021-02-13-ibn-arabi-and-the-art-of-being/ I'm very happy also that this interview was published in Raise Karma's one-time-only art journal SONDER (photos attached).

    • Academic article: The Metaphysics of Creativity

    • Academic article: Ibn Arabi and Joseph Campbell

  • My blogs at HuffingtonPost: https://www.huffpost.com/author/ali-z-hussain

Veronica Molidor · Sustainability & UNESCO World Heritage Sites Creative Works Curator · UCLA

Veronica Molidor · Sustainability & UNESCO World Heritage Sites Creative Works Curator · UCLA

As someone of Native Hawaiian descent, the land (āina) is sacred and crucial to our culture. I’ve spent so much time following ways to stop the desecration of native lands and will continue to do so for the rest of my life. The natural world is very important to me; and not just the land of Hawaii, but all of earth. There is so much beauty in nature around the world and I hope to see all of it one day. A couple months ago my friend and I drove to Arizona and as a last minute decision decided to stop and see the Grand Canyon. Neither of us had ever been and we shared the moment with so many other first timers, all of us catching the sunset on a cool January evening. We drove through Sedona and admired the magnificent rock formations and the red sand, realizing how lucky we were to be there in that very moment. That being said, the main thing that I don’t want to lose about the natural world is its ability to bring people together. It is something so many of us have taken for granted. I pledge to do my best at living a sustainable lifestyle. I will continue to compost, eat and shop sustainably, and stand by indigenous peoples in their fight for the land that is rightfully theirs.

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I feel as though the most important factor of art is that it is derivative. Every realm of the arts has the ability to build off of one another and transform perspectives. That being said, telling the stories of these creative processes themselves is what allows us to learn from them while maintaining a constant discourse. I hope that through my collaboration with The Creative Process others are able to learn about people and about subjects that they were not previously familiar with. I am expanding my knowledge on the arts and those that help make it possible, and collaborating and learning with others. 

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During these unprecedented times, I’ve found it increasingly challenging to get involved in creative projects and collaborate with others. Despite those challenges, however, I am currently in an LA based band in which I am the vocalist. We’ve recently finished our debut album which is yet to be released and we are longing to play live shows again in the (hopefully) near future. 

I’ve had the incredible opportunity to work and collaborate with some friends as a model, which is an honor considering how talented they all are as business owners and designers. Additionally, I’ve recently begun a photo project where I take a single film photo each day that documents my life in some way. I have not yet decided how long this project will go on for, but I will likely print it as a zine. I am particularly interested in film, photography, and music. Ideally I will combine these interests with my background in anthropology for my future. I would really love to work in a museum in archive or curatorial work.

Sophie E. Lieber · Arts & Sustainability Collaborating Curator · Tulane University (Copy)

Sophie E. Lieber · Arts & Sustainability Collaborating Curator · Tulane University (Copy)

Storytelling is one of the oldest human practices, as I’ve learned about in many of my anthropology courses. I have always been fascinated with storytelling, and in my own practice have never restricted myself to one medium or method, utilizing drawing and painting, documentary films, creative writing, and comedic routines to communicate what I need to. One of the things that intrigued me the most about The Creative Process was the variety of storytellers that are interviewed, from cinematographers to writers to photographers and many more. I was also intrigued by the variety of projects and ways that The Creative Process tells these stories. I enjoy aiding and developing these projects, while also strengthening my own skills. In the past year or so I’ve been drawn to filmmaking/editing and gallery/museum curatorial work, so I’m like learning more about the things I’m already passionate about during my time with The Creative Process.

One of the things that makes me the most content is being immersed in nature. My focus in Anthropology is primatology, and through a strong relationship with my academic advisor I have been able to visit Costa Rica three times to research three different species of primates: capuchin monkeys, howler monkeys, and spider monkeys. The privilege of observing these species in the wild, among their natural habitat and surrounded by incredible biodiversity is an opportunity that I am very thankful for, and has made me dedicated to doing everything I can to protect them. It has also given me a greater appreciation for all animals and insects in their natural habitat, not just the ones in ‘exotic’ forests.

Currently I’m working on my senior thesis as I finish up my last semester at Tulane University. The thesis examines non-human primate representation in film and has allowed me to combine my B.A. in Studio Art and B.S. in Anthropology in a unique way. Outside of my studio classes I’ve also been working on a larger painting whenever I get the chance, and I’m looking forward to developing my studio practice more post-graduation. My sketch comedy group has been working on creating a collection of video skits to release at the end of the year, since we’re currently unable to perform live and in front of crowds, but are hoping to do a live show if at all possible. https://www.behance.net/sophielieber.

Jaime E. Ransome · Raising Voices of Color & LGBTQ+ Contributing Curator

Jaime E. Ransome · Raising Voices of Color & LGBTQ+ Contributing Curator

 I am a graduate student in the Museum Studies MFA program at Syracuse University. Before enrolling in my graduate degree, I worked in a multi-faceted role as curatorial assistant, registrar and preparator at the Community Folk Art Center (CFAC) in Syracuse NY. Community Folk Art Center is the city of Syracuse’s only art museum and/or community center whose purpose is to educate, deepen and broaden the understanding of the art and culture of people of color and marginalized communities, with a focus on people from the African American diaspora. I curated gallery exhibitions, facilitated artist talks, and coordinated film festivals and social events in my various roles at the museum. My responsibilities also included communicating with artists and shipping companies, maintaining hospitality standards for guests and visitors, conducting school tours and workshops, writing and editing flyers, labels and other marketing materials for any and all gallery events.

I have had the great fortune to be mentored and trained by artists and administrators who are exceedingly skilled and experienced within the museum industry and they have helped me to fully embrace industry standards and practices so I can merge my art background with common practices to create unique yet accessible art exhibitions. After furthering my education under the inspiring direction of the Syracuse University faculty, I have become fluent in museum standards and practices including passive and active art conservation, museum history and management, collections care and preparation, fine arts curatorship, and academic writing for museums. Our classes worked with a variety of local museums including small, innovative museums, such as the Matilda Joslyn Gage House, and large, celebrated museums, such as the Everson. These collaborations enhanced my understanding of variation and creativity in a museum setting. In my last semesters of graduate school, I was fortunate enough to become a Teaching Assistant for a first-year History of Design course. Helping young artists establish the foundations of their art history knowledge allowed me to incorporate a thoughtfulness into my art history understanding, as I saw aesthetic and communication reinterpreted through their eyes.

Rachel Temple · Social & Environmental Justice Podcaster & Collaborating Curator · Virginia Tech

Rachel Temple · Social & Environmental Justice Podcaster & Collaborating Curator · Virginia Tech

The arts and storytelling are immeasurably important not only because of the hedonic value that we gain from them, but also because they contain so much meaning about what being human is. We learn things from art and storytelling that we may have never had the chance to experience before, they increase our empathy and sensitivity for other people, and our imaginations. I think this expansion is crucial in envisioning and moving towards our collective human futures. Art and storytelling are powerful forms of communication, and the content of each has the ability to change culture, perspective, power structures, and more. In order not to fill up this entire email with this question, the point is that humanity benefits from intentional creation, open discourse, empathetic listening, and celebration (and critique) of the arts.

I love learning from the people I encounter and to glean insight from every job description, skill, experience, musing, and perspective. With The Creative Process, I appreciate the opportunity to interview people, be interviewed, and have discussions about anything and everything.

Right now, I'm working as a student on my senior thesis for my Creative Technologies degree. I'm creating a hand-drawn animation in Photoshop, which has been a test of my patience and self-awareness for sure. I'm also completing some design work for my cousin, who is a wedding photographer in Hawaii. I'll be moving to Hawaii after graduation to work more closely under her to help with design, photography, styling, and marketing.

Growing up in Virginia is really special because we really have a little of everything - we have mountains, beach, rivers, lakes, every season. I grew up taking advantage of pretty much every recreational activity there is: hiking, kayaking, tubing, beach sports, snowboarding and skiing, the list goes on. It's easy to take for granted all of the things that we enjoy if we forget how delicate the balance is. Even more importantly than what's important to me, animals suffer the most from climate crises. The east coast of the US isn't the most diverse space, but every time I hear that another species goes extinct anywhere in the world I feel a pang of sadness, and I'm not even a huge zoology person.

My own commitment to sustainability includes buying pretty much all of my clothes secondhand if I can help it, recycling, bamboo toothbrushes, zero-waste razors, a reusable water bottle, clear detergents, and reusable shopping bags. It's not much, but as a college student, it's the most I can do since some more eco-friendly alternatives to common objects are scarce or expensive. As soon as I get my first stable income, I plan on investing more in eco-friendly products, or I would love to move closer to a co-op to cut down on food and packaging waste.

https://rachelceleste7.wixsite.com/portfolio

Natalie Flynn · Creative Writing & Music Podcast Producer & Interviewer · American University, Washington, D.C.

Natalie Flynn · Creative Writing & Music Podcast Producer & Interviewer · American University, Washington, D.C.

A few months ago, I was looking around my bedroom, and something about it struck me. I’m not sure what. Maybe I had just finished a good book, or seen something beautiful. Whatever it was, I wrote this in my notebook because of it, and I think it sums up a lot: 

“Sometimes it occurs to me that not all people are right-brained creative types who are easily and intensely moved by art. There’s a term for the latter part, I think, why art affects certain people more than others. I don’t know. But anyway, I wonder what that would be like. What would it be like to not start beaming every time you see a street musician, or fiercely hug books when you finish them because they’ve moved you so much that you’re unable to express yourself? Or to grin your face off listening to music through Beats headphones, or after finishing a chart with a jazz band, because it just sounds so good? Or to get genuinely, joyfully distracted by how beautiful your yellow beanie looks against your bedspread, every day, even though it’s the same every time? To be excited to be alone with your thoughts because you know you have a scene to work on and entertain yourself with? Hell, sometimes I just look around my bedroom and am a little overcome by all the beauty I surround myself with, like my heart is exploding all over the place, or vice versa, and it’s impossibly full. Don’t even get me started on live musicals. It’s just hard for me to imagine what it would be like to not need to make this stuff, surround myself with it, treasure it, inhale it, exhale it. It’s like... everything. I don’t know how else to say it.”

In collaboration with The Creative Process, I am contributing to podcast production, learning how podcasts work behind the scenes, and improving my interviewing skills. It’s a chance to meet inspiring people, both guests and other Creative Process staff. It’s exciting to learn from writers, artists and creative thinkers who have a lifetime of experience and have contributed much to society.
Over quarantine, my best friend and I wrote the first draft of a book. It’s still very unfinished. I’ve also written several poems. I usually have several little writing projects going at a time. I also play saxophone in the AU Jazz Orchestra and I’m taking improvisation lessons. Improving my improvisation skills is a long-term project. 

I’m a freshman, so I don’t have my career plans completely worked out yet. I’m a journalism major, and right now my biggest interest is in audio broadcast. I know I want to tell stories, and it’s been my dream since I was little to publish a novel someday. In the near future, I plan to keep writing, get better at improv, and enjoy college. 

My favorite times to be outdoors are those beautiful sunny days where the sky is blue and you never want to go back inside. In autumn, I love lying on my hammock and looking up at the tree canopy, or driving through the mountains and taking in all the changing colors. I’ve shared these experiences with my friends, my family, and sometimes my dogs, both of whom like to roll around in the leaves and run through snow. In general, I have always considered myself lucky to live in a place (Maryland, USA) where I experience all four seasons. I don’t want to lose any of that. 

Personally I pledge to create less waste where I can, whether that’s by using reusable grocery bags or not throwing away so much clothing. I pledge to reuse things when possible and buy sustainably sourced products. At this point, to stop climate change, I think change mostly needs to come from those in power, and our policies. I pledge to support politicians who work to protect the environment and combat climate change. 



Friday the 13th

by Natalie Flynn

Sheetz in the rearview mirror.

We’ve just left it behind

with the rest of the world.

Here, it’s only the night, taillight-studded,

soaking the air, spilling in through windows,

leaving faces moonlight pale,

eyes unreal and sparkling. 

Route 144 stretches out ahead 

like a starting line ramp to the future,

endless,

like if we get up enough speed,

the car might launch us into the sky. 


The news in the atmosphere,

even as we cross into that midnight realm,

where the ordinary rules change shape:

thoughts run freer from our lips

and morning becomes optional.

Only fitting that a day made of apocalyptic humor, 

a half-empty Mexican restaurant,

moonlight on a lake, and hesitant fear

should end in a final stretch so dreamlike.

This is our world for the next few minutes,

this meteorite in the shape of an Audi A4.


“Death of Me” in the speakers,

heavy pumps of fog machine cloud

that crackle with synth sparks and drum thunder

and rattle breathless laughter from my chest.

It’s Q’s song at A’s volume

And I’m gloriously trapped in between. 

Like always, in some ways. 

Except,


Us three, out of place.

We’ve never existed here

and we won’t for some time.

We won’t exist the normal ways either. 

I think we know that.

It pulls at our edges like putty,

blending strange colors where the shadows meet.

We are less us than heartbeats linked 

by thudding bassline,

less aware of our bodies,

less individuals than voices in the dark,

distorted. 


Music in my lungs.

Even as I shout over it,

I’m sitting back to let it fill me,

syncopate my heartbeat,

this moment of strange quiet

as we hurtle through the darkness.




Maddie Rubin-Charlesworth Collaborating Curator · Pomona College

Maddie Rubin-Charlesworth Collaborating Curator · Pomona College

I am an Art major with a minor in Media Studies. When I graduate, I hope to work in an art-related field that also caters to my interests in media studies and psychology. During my gap year, I’ve been doing research for a gallery in Singapore. I dive into the stories and work of global contemporary artists and write bios, and have been a Teaching Collection Intern for the American Museum of Natural History, which allows me to learn about the innerworkings of museums and nurture my love of education.

The importance of art and storytelling, I think, is that they are one and the same. I've always believed that art is the most powerful way to convey a story. Whether it be a musical piece, an oil painting, or a Broadway show, art can awaken something far deeper and more emotional in us than simple words may ever be capable of. At The Creative Process, I hope to immerse myself in a number of different creative fields and learn something about how other artists think. The position would give me valuable experience in an area that is quite attuned to my particular interests and would ideally facilitate interactions with many interesting people.

I grew up in New York City, so nature in its purest form has always been a rarity to me. Currently, though, I feel very lucky to be living in Vermont -- especially during Covid. I find such great solace in my surroundings -- large expanses of woods and fields, a nearby lake. The other day I did my first ever sunrise hike, and while waking up at 5am to be faced with much-below-freezing weather doesn't sound like my usual picture of 'fun,' it was an experience like no other. The natural world provides a rare opportunity in our hectic lives to disconnect, find peace, and center ourselves among the things that matter. This past year, I made the switch to vegetarianism to help reduce my personal carbon impact and have been trying to slowly convert my roommates as well!

https://mrubincharlesworth.myportfolio.com/home

Ari Renai · Dance, Arts & Sustainability Podcast Producer · Tulane University

Ari Renai · Dance, Arts & Sustainability Podcast Producer · Tulane University

In a letter that a friend wrote to me during the holidays, she mentioned that what makes me an integral member of our social circle is my storytelling, as I always attracted others' attention because of the conviction of when I speak. She also mentioned that she has talked with my other friends about how they admire my creativity and dedication to dance. Previously, I had never thought deeply about the value of my storytelling or creativity, as both have been rather natural for me. However, now I understand that storytelling and creativity are incredibly valuable. They show one's ambitions, vulnerability, humor, personality, etc. Storytelling and creativity express what makes us unique and what makes us humans. I hope to share stories through collaboration with The Creative Process because I want to inspire others to engage in creative endeavors to add meaning to their lives. We thrive in creative environments, and I want to help create such spaces.

My recent projects include a TEDx speech and dance performance about making dance instruction more accessible and inclusive. I am choreographing more solo and group dance pieces with my university.

I love watching birds fly in flocks in fields and ponds. As a child, I always enjoyed being with my family and watching ducks swimming together from my grandmother's garden. As a young adult, I still enjoy going to local parks, especially with close friends, simply to watch birds bonding together and enjoying the habitat they live in. It is such a peaceful and beautiful sight. I want to help preserve and maintain our national, state, and local parks so that the wildlife will thrive and that Earth will remain in better balance. I will work with sustainability and environmental organizations at my university to help maintain community gardens, green spaces, and habitats.