My background is in theatre and creative nonfiction writing, and much of my artistic experience in the past decade has been at the intersection of artistic and civic practice. I co-wrote a play, This Boat Called my Body, to advocate for abortion access for young people in Illinois based on interviews with young people who had chosen to terminate pregnancies. For several years, I served as a community partnerships advisor for Sojourn Theatre Company's production of How to End Poverty in 90 Minutes, a participatory play which invites the audience to give away (real) money each night to a local organization to help alleviate poverty. For the past 6 years, I have served as a core organizer of Swarm Artist Residency, a Midwest-based artist residency which provides radically generative space for artists to create and rest; to center anti-oppressive practice, we integrate race, power, and privilege trainings into our residency and prioritize space and funds for artists of color and queer & trans artists.
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In my own little corner of the world, I find painting to be a deeply meditative practice - and often return to watercolors to find grounding amidst the overwhelm of the world.
Perhaps they'll bring you some calm, too.