Our Creative Journey Up North
The Intern’s Voice
This past week, I had the opportunity to join so many others from around Wisconsin to meet about the arts and creativity. What I found of note was the undercurrent of happiness in each experience. Everyone seemed genuinely cheerful to see one another; it felt like love for your neighbor/colleague was in the air. There was collaboration. And there were discussions of the problems facing individual communities. Most intriguing was the discussion on the great amount of work to be done in our communities, but so little time and manpower to get it done. One woman expressed how exhausted she had become, but energized to find the solution to her daily work. Positively, there were a group of people at this particular meeting that were able to meet her moment of vulnerability with courage and support towards her. I didn’t realize how supportive this sector of Wisconsin is. I’ve always known artists, I’ve always known people to be creative, but I haven’t experienced the people advocating for these kinds of lives and experiences before.
They’re people you may not know, but they are people who are concerned about how the arts and creativity affect everyone and thus need fostering and cultivation. And that is the two words I would describe this work. Fostering and cultivation. It’s about being stewardess of the opportunities afforded to these organizations and individuals in their line of work. It’s about using the resources at one’s disposal and deciding to create a community that looks out for the big to small townships alike. All corners of Wisconsin.
One person mentioned how she was looking forward to meeting again “in-person”. As we open from isolation, I believe that what is most important when we engage, not only in our work, but also in our lives, is connection with one another. We’re here to connect and collaborate.
We ventured up to Superior and Washburn. We saw how powerful the arts and creativity are in each city. There are many who are looking to activate this kind of culture in their city and are charged to implement the arts and creativity for the betterment of their communities. One mentioned how the installation of murals is a sign of positive improvement in a city. I think making the investment to build more beautiful spaces for one’s city is at the heart of this work; thinking as an individual to affect the masses in a positive way through the arts and creativity.
I most likely won’t get the chance to meet any of the people I met while on this trip again, but I’m grateful I got to spend a sliver of their time with them. It is always eye-opening to see how others live their life. This kind of discovery process (understanding other worldviews, lifestyles, and energies) is something I am committed to for life.
