photo by Susanne Jutzeler Sujufoto courtesy Pexels
The many ways the creative arts spoke to and through us this year.
“My favorite class was art history, it opened me up to seeking images. At some point, I found a picture of a jungle and it felt like my journey hacking the path… It represents ‘can you see the path;’ it is part of my whole connection piece when I work with people. Keep grinding.” –Anderson Curtis (Cohort 24), A Conversation about Building Connection
“Throughout the COVID-19 lockdown, I continued working and teaching in public health. I continued writing poetry, and I wanted to offer space for others to write.” –Marian A. Evans (Cohort 19), Wisdom of BIPOC Women Scholars
“…where people from around the world share the view from their windows to help someone else — whether to relax, focus, meditate or travel without moving.” –Sonali Ranjit & Vaishnav Balasubramaniam, WindowSwap co-founders, The Calmest Place on the Internet?
“The trick with any kind of creative writing is always a matter of getting out of your own way, silencing all the negative internal voices that tell us our stories and ideas aren’t important or meaningful, tuning out arbitrary rules, and really listening to our own voice.” –T. Cole Rachel, in Perfect Poetry (Including Yours)
“All these different traditions that have been going on for centuries. And the amazement to wonder about the magic of who and how people discovered that this plant does this… or, use this metallic salt and this dye with this temperature, and it creates this color. It was like sorcery, the alchemy of it all.” –Aly Fox (Cohort 13), The Alchemy and Art of Natural Dyes
“We’re creating community through a common language – where we can embrace our stories, even the things about ourselves that are hard to talk about, the thorn under the surface.” –Steve Mikolike (Cohort 28), Building Trust, Team & Community
“…I even used to do spontaneous dances. I would stop someone on the street, in a coffee shop, the gym, a co-working space — and ask them if they would dance with me for one song that they would pick.” –Lauri Robbins Ericson (Cohort 12), From Capitalist Trauma to Nordic Calm
“The repetition in form here conveys exhaustion and a rhythmic reframe too: Let’s dream something else.” –Kay Ulanday Barrett, “Duplex for the Sick & Tired”
“It’s not like everything has been invented; not everything has been perfected by any means. And if you spend some time with things, and you bring that optimism and hope and some creativity, it’s likely that you can come up with something that makes people’s lives better.” –J.R. Logan (Cohort United Way) Interview
“…that acceptance by other artists was a big deal. So, maybe that’s one distinction that moment offered for me, finding the courage to open up and share my art work with others.” –Aly Fox (Cohort 13), What Makes an Artist
“can we speak in flowers. it will be easier for me to understand. — other language” –nayyirah waheed, poems from salt. & NEJMA
“A four-year-old whose mother told us she loves our rainbow flag painted a pumpkin rainbow colors and stopped yesterday to give it to us.” –Christopher Cole (Cohort 12), Moving Forward with Pride and Hope
“Playing Hip-Hop on Friday nights, listening to Salsa, Merengue, and Bachata music all day while cleaning the house on Saturday, and enjoying BBQ pork shoulder with arroz con gandules after church on Sundays, is what makes me, ME!” –Jeffrey Moreno (Cohort 28), Proud Hispanic Heritage & Service
“Thinking about creativity and my goal around finding a way to ground myself and explore my own gift – it’s all a big part of the context for me right now.” –Miriam Sutton (Cohort 29), Turning to Creativity for Peace
“I want to leave something here in the rough dirt. A twig, a small stone––perhaps this poem––a reminder to begin, again, by listening carefully with the body’s rapt attention––remember? To this, to this.” –Danusha Laméris, Small Kindnesses
Curated by The Circle’s creative director & editor, Lara Herscovitch. To reach Lara directly: thecircle@clpnewhaven.org or Lara@LaraHerscovitch.com