My titles of "artist" and "activist" would not exist without the presence of storytelling and creativity.  I believe that there is nothing more important than storytelling and creativity--the two qualities are the reasons we are the human society that we are today. If the first human never told its child about the life they lived, the things they've learned, the places they have seen, then we would never progress as a society. Storytelling connects us to the past, helps us realize our position in the world, and how we will use that position to make the world better. This is why it is a powerful tool of nonviolence--a story can move someone to the point of self-realization and build a desire for change. Creativity and storytelling go hand-in-hand, and the former is also an important quality in an activist. Personally, I think that the best activists are also creatives, which is why I desire to change the world through my art. The Yoko Ono's and Banksy's of the world make a great impact because they tell stories of social injustice that are forever encapsulated in their art.  I hope to do the same with my art and activism, and honor the power of storytelling and creativity through my work, which is why I was inclined to apply for this internship with The Creative Process. After reading your website and learning about all of the changemakers that you have partnered with, I wanted to be part of it. 

I recently completed a timeline recording the history of student activism at my university, Chapman University in Orange, California, which was founded in 1861. It was incredibly empowering and moving to research the history that I continue today through my own work as a student activist. I was so inspired that I created a zine of literary works by current and former Chapman students about their experiences fighting for justice at our school. (Plans for putting the timeline and zine online are in the works.) Additionally, in light of the recent pique in the Black Lives Matter movement, I am in the beginning stages of organizing a grassroots collective of activists at my university so as to mobilize my college community to implement more anti-racist policies, curriculum, and staff. My hope is to create a better campus climate for minority students at our predominantly white and affluent academic institution. When I graduate next May, I hope to continue my work as an artist and activist and find a career that allows me to combine both of these passions (and still be able to pay the bills...).

Rainbow bust (a statement on beauty standards), Don't Spread on Me (still of a performance piece about gender expectations). Others are pictures of pages from various zines.