Fostering Diversity in the Creative Process

As an artist, I’m interested in the ever evolving creative process. Thus far, I’ve learned that being in a diverse, yet inclusive space can significantly improve not only an artists' work, but also their sense of confidence. 

Inspired by the principles of biodiversity in nature, I set out to breathe new life into my creative practice and that of 8 other artists with a fun weekend experiment. Motherland Creative Retreat was born in 2022 when I decided to rent a summer camp and invite a group of artist friends to say goodbye to everyday life and embrace creativity and their inner-child for 4 days.

In nature, and in art - it’s important to allow your roots to feed your crown. And to highlight each person's individuality, the only thing I required during this gathering is that each artist present a workshop about their creative practice. Our expertise ran the gamut of creative outputs and included music, paintings, words, and even foraging natural materials on the land. 

The purpose was clear: to learn from each other, to create bridges, not walls, all in the pursuit of evolving our work and ideas.

One by one, we invited each other into our creative practices. Some sessions were show-and-tell, while others were tactile and collaborative. As a painter, stepping into the shoes of a writer or digital artist was fascinating! 

When it was your turn to share, there was no hiding from your own weird, wonderful self, because we so eagerly wanted to learn what made each other tick. No one was overlooked or criticized. We wanted to be surprised, and yearned for that sense of “awe” you get as a kid. True inclusion goes beyond merely allowing someone to be in the room; it involves recognizing, valuing, and allowing someone’s differences to permeate your point of view. 

This video highlights some of the special moments we had together over the weekend, and what the artists got out of the experience: