Creatives Making Moves Podcast

Meet La Keisha Leek, a self proclaimed storyteller. Originally from Tampa, Florida, she is an artists advocate, writer, and arts administrator based in Chicago. She also works at the MacArthur Foundation in Grant Management. 

La Keisha is known for her wildly popular publication with Candor Arts, How to Make A Hood, a meditation on the misconceptions of Black bodies. Her years of curatorial experience as the Executive Administrator to Theaster Gates, and at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, led her to want a slower pace and to start something new.

L’Louise Arts Foundation was born. The foundation supports artists of color by providing professional and financial resources. Join us as we discuss La Keisha’s calling as a Servant leader and how she helps artists create the narrative they want.

Links in this episdoe:

L’Louise Arts Foundation  

La Keisha Leek Instagram

La Keisha Leek Facebook

Kindred Creatives Collective

Meet Vanessa Stokes, a photographer and community organizer based in Chicago. She is also the founder of VS Creative Consulting, LLC, an artist representative firm where her main client is Dorrell Creightney, Vanessa’s late Father who opened the first black-owned photography studio in Chicago in 1969. Vanessa has hosted a series of art pop-ups, workshops, classes, performances, and artist residencies in public places underutilized in the Austin community. She created the Art & Culture Committee at Austin Town Hall Park to offer a space for artists to create, showcase and sell their art, and to expose the neighborhood to arts programming. 

Join us as we discuss placemaking, creating positive stories, fear and the importance of public art to serve communities. 

Links in this episode

Vanessa Stokes Instagram

Vanessa Stokes Facebook

Symposium on Racial Reconciliation

Kindred Creatives Collective

Dionne Victoria is an educator and Chicago painter whose artwork is a meditative tool to heal and express her soul. As her love of science grew, she began developing a science-arts integration curriculum while teaching at SkyArt. Dionne Victoria also runs her own arts studio, Dionne Victoria Studios, where she focuses on change through the three E’s: education, exhibitions and entrepreneurship. 

Join us as we discuss Dionne’s entrepreneurial journey and how she uses art as therapy to heal from trauma using chakras.

Links in this episode

Dionne Victoria

Dionne Victoria Facebook

Dionne Victoria Instagram

Therapeutic Art Box

Kindred Creatives Collective

Meet Cherlnell Lane, a roaring fire, under a cool demeanor, with a kind soul, that she shares authentically in hopes of healing the world. As a speaker, advocate, facilitator, and poetic-storyteller Cherlnell birthed Cherlnell Lane, LLC where she helps to relate, advocate, and uplift Black women.

Cherlnell is the creator of Writing Through It Workshops and Healing Through It Summits where she facilitates women to reveal, deal, and heal from trauma while recognizing strengths and positive experiences. Her company is also home of Cookie Jar Open Mic online, a bi-weekly event that showcases writers and performing artists.

In this episode learn how Cherlnell uses her life experiences to reach and inspire people with her artistry, curriculum, projects, and words.

Links in this episode:

Cherlnell Lane LLC

Cherlell Lane on Facebook 

Cherlnell Lane on Instagram

Cookie Jar Open Mic

Dating Poetry, Repeat Dating Event

Kindred Creatives Collective

Meet Lauren Jackson, an illustrator, mentor, and creative entrepreneur based in Chicago.  She’s the founder of Lo Creates, a space for healing, creativity, and growth. Her love for lush colors, representation, and happiness can be seen in her children books, commissions, and illustrative prints. Lauren’s mission is to help women creatives of color develop a strategy for working towards their purpose.

In this episode we discuss Lauren’s journey building a business, and how she’s creating a sustainable life as a creative centered around joy.

In this episode Lauren shares:

• The moment that she realized the power of her art.

Links in this episode:

Lo Creates 

Lo Creates on Facebook 

Lo Creates on Instagram

Kindred Creatives Collective

There’s this amazing strategy I  learned that every creative entrepreneur needs to do. It's called the Buffett Method, and it gave me so much clarity in my business.

The strategy, coined by Warren Buffett, is used to help you to prioritize and focus. If you're feeling overwhelmed and disorganized right now this is perfect for you.

In order to get organized you need to be very clear on the projects you're working on right now that drives you. This might sound basic, but let's pull back the layers.

You’re probably doing way too much right now. #teamtoomuch You get super inspired to start a new idea, and before you know it you’re juggling a million projects. Then you start feeling overwhelmed, not sure where to focus, or worse you never get anything done. Sounds familiar?

In this episode you’ll learn a simple 3-step process you can do to better focus and prioritize your time on what really matters to you. You got this, Sis.

Links in this episode

Kindred Creatives Collective

Victoria Timpo Instagram

Empowered Creatives Retreat

Warren Buffett Method

Meet Ama Asantewa, a Ghanaian storyteller, performer, writer, and the founder and creative director of Yobbings, a greeting card online store. Her creative practice is rooted in a desire to tell her own story, in her own language, mannerisms, and culture. 

For two years Ama sat with an idea to start a greeting card company, but fear of failure stopped her from moving forward. She thought “how can I possibly compete with Hallmark?” One day she had enough, pushed down her excuses and fears, and took a leap of faith to start Yobbings with just 4 cards.

Today Yobbings creates over 80 cards internationally to show love, solidarity, and to acknowledge black greatness. It's synonymous with thoughtfulness and lightheartedness. 

Check out this episode to find out about Ama’s experience adjusting to life as a creative in Chicago, how her life as an artist in Ghana was different, and get inspired by her journey starting her business Yobbings.

In this episode, Ama shares:

• Her first memory of being an artist, and what life was like growing up in Ghana as an artist.

Links in this episode:

Ama Asantewa Instagram

Yobbings

Poetra Asantewa

Black Girls Glow Residency

Kindred Creatives Collective

This episode is for you if you’re feeling stuck, unworthy, or judging yourself for being lazy.

You’re not alone if fear, doubt, and procrastination has stopped you from achieving your dreams. Fear, in its many forms, can stop us from achieving our highest potential. It most commonly shows up as a fear of failure, fear of success, fear of rejection, fear of the unknown, or fear of disappointment. 

We all have fears. How can you use fear to your advantage? 

Take a moment to think about how fear plays out in your life. Then ask yourself, are you willing to let another year pass by living outside your purpose?

Embracing fear is a tool to help achieve your goals and dreams. Use fear as the key that frees you. 

In this episode you’ll learn:

• The 3 things you need to have in order to work your fears to launch your dream to the next level.

Follow your fear and I promise it will lead you directly to your freedom, joy and purpose.

Links in this episode:

From Fear to Freedom Virtual Artist Retreat

Kindred Creatives Collective

7 Exercises to Embrace Your Fears & Thrive

Victoria Timpo Instagram

Meet Wisdom Baty, an artist, parent, curator, and educator based in Chicago. She’s interested in exploring events about how black artists think about the world we want to construct. 

She’s also on the Arts Advisory Board at Experimental Station and the COLAB 7100 Director of Development and Community Relations where she curates a community based co-working space and small business incubator. 

When Wisdom discovered that there were limited resources for mothers who wanted to explore artist residencies, she did what any visionary would do. She created a manifestor and started doing programming with parents and other institutions. The Ways We Make series was born.

The Ways We Make: Nurturing Creative Communities as Mothers of Color, is a gathering and celebration of black and brown women to share art and strategy to thrive as moms. 

Wisdom has always felt a warmth and energy around creative people. She follows that instinct to continue to build with other creatives. 

In this episode we discuss how artists can affirm the things they want in their lives, how to create only what matters to you, and reimaging physical space and historical accuracy for black people.

Check out this episode:

• Find out why Wisdom is interested in embodying intersectionality in her roles as educator, artist, and curator.

Links in this episode:

Wisdom Baty

Wisdom Baty Instagram

Ways We Make

Nap Ministry

Three Walls

Colab 7100

Self growth is a journey. 

Meet Brette Sims and Stephanie Sparks, two creative entrepreneurs based in Los Angeles. They run Stuk Designs, a 501C3 nonprofit art organization and collective for creative career women that provides art and self love education to girls in underserved communities globally. 

Brette is the President and Creative Director, and Steph is the Vice President and Program Director of Stuk Designs.

Once they became conscious of what a powerful antidote art and self-love were to anxiety and depression, they made it their mission to teach this truth to girls. Their philosophy is simple: do what you love! 

Stuk stands for; Strong. Talented. United. and Knowledgeable. It’s mission embodies each of these words as a source of inspiration for young girls and women. It’s core belief is that how you take care of yourself and talk to yourself each plays a role in your success in life. 

In this episode, we dive deep into the power of trusting your inner guidance. Whether you use crystals or prayer, it's important to trust in your special gifts and abilities. 

Check out this episode to learn:

• The story behind how Brette manifested teaching art to underserved kids in Africa, and why a trip to Ghana renewed her faith in human kindness.

Links in this episode:

Shop Stuk Designs

Stuk Designs

Stuk Designs Instagram

Stuk Designs Twitter

Stuk Designs Facebook

Kindred Creatives Collective