Insights from Creative Convergence
Navigating Art, Capitalism, and Mental Health & Wellness: Insights from Creative Convergence; A Town Hall Discussion Led by Community.
During our first-ever Creative Convergence event, which took place at the Mingei Museum, members of our vibrant creative community gathered to engage in powerful discussions on a variety of important topics. From exploring the intersection of art and capitalism to incorporating mental health wellness into our artistic journeys, the conversations were both thought-provoking and illuminating. In this blog post, we will delve into the key takeaways and insights that emerged from this transformative event. It is worth noting that participants respectfully and productively engaged with one another, establishing community agreements to ensure that everyone felt heard and valued.
Our evening commenced with a fruitful session led by the esteemed Urban Restoration Counseling Center team members, Kipenzi Herron and Shanelle D. Johnson. They thoughtfully guided us through a series of holistic breathing exercises, aimed at facilitating a sense of grounding and regulation within our nervous systems. This was incredibly beneficial as we soon delved into a potentially triggering discussion, and their introductory practices helped us to approach the topic with newfound clarity and composure. Overall, their expertise and guidance were invaluable to our evening's success.
Before starting our conversation, we made sure to establish some community agreements to set the tone for open and meaningful discussions. We were guided by Michaële Antoine of Curios Consulting, who explained the importance and purpose of such agreements. This practice is powerful because it takes into account the needs of the whole community, rather than just one person dictating how we should interact and engage. It was an invitation for everyone to express their needs and considerations, especially since some topics might be controversial or uncomfortable. In addition, Michaele requested that all community members reflect on the commitments they were willing to make and contribute. The agreements we established were inclusive and considered the abilities of all community members, such as requesting vocal amplification for those who have difficulty hearing and scaling text on the presentation screen for those who struggle with small text. These community agreements helped us lay a strong foundation for respectfully entering into conversation.
Picture of over two dozen people seated and facing six individual panelists facing the audience.
Picture of over two dozen people seated and facing the same side of a room at a panelist discussion.
Below are the takeaways and notes from the evening.
Community Agreements:
Having an open mind and remaining present: Encouraging active engagement and empathy within the community.
Coming from a place of curiosity, not judgment: Fostering an environment where questions are encouraged, and differences are respected.
Showing up as our authentic selves: Embracing individuality and vulnerability.
Prefacing statements with "I'm feeling...": Promoting emotional awareness and expression.
Being active listeners: Prioritizing understanding over immediate response.
Not feeling compelled to provide immediate reactions or responses: Encouraging thoughtful consideration.
Not letting fear hold us back: Creating a safe space for sharing and exploration.
Being open to sharing knowledge: Promoting knowledge exchange, to not withhold resources.
Attendees also discussed what they needed from fellow attendees to feel seen, heard, and respected, including stepping up and stepping back, transparency, and keeping accessibility in mind.
Once our community agreements were established, we began the night with a question submitted from unknown contributor via our google form (prior to the event)
Question 1: Art vs. Capitalism - Can They Coexist?
>>I feel like being an artist is a rebellious act against capitalism, so how can I survive and not participate in capitalism? Seems like a juxtaposition of being an artist and be about humanity but also buying into capitalism.
The first question concerns the apparent conflict between being an artist and rebelling against capitalism. Key insights from our facilitators, panelists and community during the discussion included:
Shift Mindset: Participants explored the idea of shifting their mindset to view capitalism as a system where money is a tool rather than the ultimate goal.
Prioritize Value: They emphasized the importance of prioritizing the value they provide over profit, focusing on being kind in business.
Conscious Capitalism: Suggestions were made to research and embrace the principles of Conscious Capitalism. Be gentle with yourself while operating within a capitalist system, it is a process.
Collective Action: Attendees considered building a creative collective that challenges the status quo by being intentional about partnerships, resource sharing, and mindset shifts toward thriving rather than just surviving.
Vote with your dollar: The power of investing your dollar where it really counts and matters; pouring into your immediate community to uplift and empower, rather than fueling corporations that do not care for our communities. How we choose to use our money is an act of REBELLION.
Giving back from your business: Allocating a percentage of funds to a non-profit or local organization you are passionate about, providing free to discounted services to customers, sliding scale pricing, and being open to forms of mutual aid, trade, and bartering.
Four individuals, standing in sets of two on the left and right side of a Pop Up banner, that reads “Urban Restoration Counseling Center”.
Question 2: Overcoming Entrepreneurial Overwhelm and Mental Health in Art
>>As an entrepreneur, my to-do list feels endless. How do you manage that space of feeling overwhelmed? / How are we infusing mental health wellness into our art?
The second question delved into managing the overwhelming nature of entrepreneurship and infusing mental health wellness into the creative process. Key insights included:
Self-Care and Boundaries: Establishing a consistent self-care routine and setting boundaries for sustainability.
Task Management: Techniques such as the 3/3/3 rule and the 80/20 rule were discussed for effective task management and prioritization.
3/3/3/ Rule: 3 hours of deep focused work - 3 short tasks - 3 maintenance activities (ie., updates to your website, administration tasks, etc.)
80/20 Rule: 80% of your results come from 20% efforts = the greatest impact
Delegate and Focus: Delegating tasks, identifying financially beneficial activities, and staying rooted in one's purpose, value, vision, mission, and goals (PVVMG) were recommended, so as to not take on work that is not benefiting and contributing to your values.
Infusing Joy: Incorporating enjoyable activities into the task list to fuel productivity.
Digital Detox: Taking breaks from digital devices to recharge.
Protecting Energy: Identifying strategies that work best to protect one's energy.
The Importance of Rest: Acknowledging that rest is an essential part of productivity.
Create a productive space: An audience member shared with us how they set up their studio for maximum focus and inspiration. Be mindful of your surroundings
Additional and powerful takeaways:
Do something interesting/fun to start your task list with, so that joy can fuel the next task
Sometimes you can say NO
Pace yourself
Add a “TO BE/TO FEEL” list for yourself regarding all of your tasks
Digital Detox; Take breaks from social media, and laptops, and explore life outside the digital
What works best for you to protect your energy?
Remember, rest is still doing something
Question 3: Infusing Mental Health Wellness into Art
>>How are we infusing mental health wellness into our art? This question led to a larger discussion about resources and connecting with others in the community.
The third question led to discussions about resources and connections for mental health wellness in the artistic community. Attendees shared valuable resources and organizations, including:
AIGA -
San Diego/Tijuana World Design Capital
Art Social - Group Meets the last Wednesday of the Month, 6pm-8pm @ Station Tavern in South Park
Urban Restoration Counseling Center
Inbody Wellness , https://www.inbodywellnessco.com/
Mental Wellness for Artists, https://linktr.ee/mentalwellnessforartists
Apothecary Wellness/ Plant medicine as wellness
Question 4: Navigating Inspiration and Motivation as Queer Creatives of Color
>>As queer creatives of color, how do you stay inspired and motivated during this hostile and volatile time?
The fourth question at the community gathering addressed the unique challenges faced by queer creatives of color in staying inspired and motivated during these hostile and volatile times. The conversation started with panelist Angie Chandler sharing her personal experience and how she actively surrounds herself with individuals who affirm and support her identity.
Takeaways:
Build a Supportive Community: Both online and offline communities can provide vital support, understanding, and inspiration.
Reciprocal Support: Remember to support others within your community, whether they are fellow artists or businesses. Building each other up can create a stronger and more resilient collective.
Digital Detox: Consider taking breaks from social media platforms like Instagram to avoid constantly viewing the world through a digital lens. As Michaele put it, "We're not built to take in all of this information." Taking time to disconnect and reconnect with the physical world and yourself can be refreshing.
Self-Reflection: Take moments to come back to yourself, focusing on self-care and self-discovery.
"IF I WIN, You Win. When You Win, We Win. When we win, we Elevate."
-Shanelle D. Johnson
Question 5: Business Insights with the Benefit of Hindsight
>>What would you do now, in business, knowing what you know now?
Panelists, Facilitators, and Audience members were asked what they would do differently in their businesses, armed with the knowledge they now possess. Here are some valuable takeaways from their responses:
Networking and Learning: Start networking early and ask successful individuals about their journeys. Obsessively learn new skills and seek continuous improvement.
Know Your Worth: Recognize your true value and don't settle for less. Many discussed how they often made only a fraction of what they were truly worth.
Leverage Relationships: Building and nurturing relationships can be a powerful tool for business success.
Personal and Business Foundations: Prioritize building a strong foundation for both your personal and business life. This includes addressing family issues that may impact your business; “You can’t hide from you — Family issues will show up in your business. ‘If I’m not right, I’m not showing up for my business’, work on you first!
Financial Literacy: Ensuring your financial house is in order. Understand the financial aspects of your business. Bookkeeping can be a catalyst for systemic change, and learning about your finances empowers you to understand your true worth and potential for growth.
Self-Work: Acknowledge that personal issues can affect your business. Work on yourself first to show up as your best self in your business endeavors.
Winning Together: Embrace a mentality of collaboration rather than competition. When one person or business succeeds, it can elevate the entire community. “If I win, you win. If you win, we win. When we win, we elevate” - Shanelle D. Johnson.
The insights and discussions from Creative Convergence offered valuable guidance for artists, entrepreneurs, and anyone seeking to navigate the complexities of capitalism while maintaining their mental health and wellness. By prioritizing value, self-care, and collective action, individuals can continue to create meaningful art while challenging the status quo. This gathering exemplified the power of community and the importance of open, respectful dialogue in addressing these important issues. Furthermore, this conversation also opened the doors to many more discussions that need to be had in community.
YOUR VOICE IS NEEDED
If you're interested in leading the next Creative Convergence, feel free to contact us at hello@youbelonghere. It's important to have a diverse group of leaders to reflect the needs of our various communities, so we're looking to pass the baton to a new group. Yet, we are here to help support you through the development with program development support and marketing assets. Please do not hesitate to reach out.
Thank you to our amazing Panelists, Facilitators and our Venue Sponsor, the Mingei Museum.
Facilitators & Panelists
Shanelle D. Johnson of Urban Restoration Counseling Center
Kipenzi Herron of Johnson of Urban Restoration Counseling Center
Michaële Antoine of Curios Consulting
Nic Roc of You Belong Here
