Over the last two years, I have led a series of workshops at Harvard University and in Cambridge, MA where I present my research around the value of the creative economy, the importance of making museum’s accessible to all, and the crucial role the arts play in early education.

According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the arts and cultural economic actively accounted for 4.3 percent of the GDP, or $1.10 trillion in 2022, larger than construction and, transportation and warehousing.

Based on comprehensive research from UNESCO, the National Endowment of the Arts, Richard Florida's "The Rise of the Creative Class," American in the Arts, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, and more, I pull together a brief overview of the impact the creative economy has in the United States.

After a brief talk presenting my research, accompanied by a slideshow deck, I ask participants to reflect on what a "creative city" looks like in their own eyes. They are provided with materials to engage with via collage making. Participants usually create for around 30 minutes, then we reconvene and debrief what we made in response to the prompt. I emphasize the importance and value of thinking locally, hence why I ask what a creative city looks like and not a state or country,.

Part of what I am exploring here is to take a chance and collect visual artifacts that can be used along with quotes, pictures, and interviews to one day present to policymakers to emphasize and show what real live citizens believe how creativity should be represented, protected, and assisted. The true value add this workshop provides comes in the end when participants are asked to reflect on what they made as well as engage with what other made.

I want viewers to walk away with questions rather than answers—questions about societal norms, the constructs we take for granted, and the possibilities of reimagining those frameworks. I want the work we create together to provoke curiosity and introspection, encouraging people to see the world through a lens of playfulness, rebellion, and boundless potential.

I want to sharpen my ability to articulate the concepts behind my work and navigate the professional aspects of being a collage artist. My goal is to spark a sense of wonder and empowerment, showing how fragmented elements—whether images, ideas, or individuals—can be brought together to create something wholly new and extraordinary.

Ultimately, I want this experience to create connections—not just between disparate materials and images, but between people and communities.

I want to listen to other people’s stories, hopes, and dreams. I hope to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to others to exist in a world where we have had to make being creative into an economy. Creatives cannot simply exist, but we must carve a place for ourselves in this world and understanding how others view creativity and the importance of having creative jobs is invaluable information when looking to make a case to stakeholders, especially in local governments. I believe in the power of stories, and I am hoping to spend time documenting other people’s stories through visual artifacts, meaningful conversations, and collective experiences of creating, dreaming, and weaving ideas.

With these workshops, I hope to experiment with innovative approaches that push my work in exciting and uncharted directions. I also want connect with a diverse network of artists, curators, and mentors whose perspectives can challenge and inspire me. Through these exchanges, I want to build a supportive community where ideas flow freely and collaborations emerge organically. I’m eager to learn from others’ journeys while sharing my own experiences and insights at the same time.

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