Art is an Act of Advocacy

While I am still actively de-centering my voice from the communal conversation, sharing our stories, learning to listen to and empathize with each other’s stories, using Art as activism, and reminding yourself of the immense power you have right inside of you is a crucial piece of the cultural dialogue right now. With that, my words below are spare and to the point. Scroll to the end or simply visit my last post if you are interested in engaging BIPOC entrepreneurs in the literary world.

Art is an act of advocacy.

Art is an act of social justice.

Art is activism.

Everything you create is an extension of your story. Everything you observe in the world and then write about - everything you mold with your hands, with your actions, with your words - is colored by your experiences. Everything you say and do - as well as everything you don't say and do - shapes a narrative that is reflective of your perspective of the world. This is the great and consummate power of our stories. Stories create understanding. Stories create empathy. Stories create healing. But storytelling can also be destructive.

In a world fraught with hate and disconnection, the people who don't take the time to listen to the stories of others are often the people with the most to say. And the time to carefully listen to and consider the perspectives of other people isn't just right now - it's always. Storytelling is legacy building, so we must be equitable with not only our words but with the way in which we approach, interpret, and represent the words of others.

To tell your story is to advocate for yourself and others.

My career has been nearly wholly focused on advocacy in the world of mental healthcare, most specifically for children and teens caught in the vicious cycle of institutionalization. From a decade working as a mental health and art specialist to starting and operating a low-cost family counseling practice, to lobbying the Surgeon General's office, from helping others write and share their stories to being a publisher, from supporting the art of marginalized voices to my own creations, like Blue Rooms, for me, art has always been about advocacy.

Inherently, I knew the power of the storytelling. As an only child, reading shaped my world view, and then writing helped me express myself. I’ve spent the past fifteen years teaching children, adolescents, young women, and others how to tell their story - how to shape their narrative and then share it with the world - and every time someone does that, they make a specific statement about themselves: they are worthy, they have a history and an important viewpoint, and they deserve to be not only heard but understood.

Moreover, every time someone shares their story, they advocate for the validity of others with a shared experience. They let other people in similar circumstances who might not think their struggle is important know that, indeed, it is. Indeed, it is valuable, worthy, and immensely powerful.

Entrepreneurship is a form of resistance.

To thrive outside the confines of corporate capitalism is a form of strength and resistance, especially for minorities. When we create our own monetary structures based in our talents, we claim our value; we proclaim that our skillsets and gifts are worthy, important, and can make a difference in the lives of others and in our communities.

Persisting down the path of entrepreneurship isn’t easy, but the more we emotionally, physically, and financially support small business owners - especially the most marginalized of us - the louder we send the message that the white supremacy corporate capitalist America is built on thrives only on the backs of those it oppresses. Collectively, as entrepreneurs, we’re not only creating businesses catered to our own way of thinking and being and existing but we’re also bucking a system that doesn’t serve us.

Rock on, sisters. But also, don’t forget to tell your story with pride.

New Program Openings, Same Policies

I’m re-opening shop in July with some new program openings. But to be clear, my policies will never change, meaning I will never work with an organization or person that isn’t actively anti-racist and anti-patriarchy. I will always offer sliding rates for different circumstances. I will only choose clients whose voices I feel like I can best amplify and support. I will never be closed to important ethical discussions, and I will always welcome collaboration.

If you’re looking to support BIPOC in the literary community, you can find resources in this posting.