We were lucky to catch up with Britt Lamelia recently and have shared our conversation below.
Britt , thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
My creativity is my best friend and has always been since I discovered it at a young age. Being an only child my imagination of course was one of the best things for me; being animated and artsy came in handy when there was no one around. Discovering my creativity helped me develop a healthy relationship with words and visuals. Being able to tell and write stories that would intrigue my little readers and shock my mother, was always a plus for me. Whether I was alone or with a group of people I always knew I had my creativity. Keeping a notepad, or when I got older always bringing my camera with me no matter where I went; these were essential to and for me. Along my journey I’ve discovered that I am a lover of Arts; there are no museums. Art galleries, parks, bookstores, concerts, writing workshops, or even meetups that I’d turn down. Mentally creativity has saved my life, so when you ask how I keep something that’s embedded in me my answer of course is cliche. Creativity stays with me 24-7 regardless of where I am or what I’m doing; it’s my “right hand” and where my words make sense and these photos are more than stills. Creativity is freedom in the form of your happy places shown in many ways. Peace and Art beautiful people!
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
My biggest goal in life is to make people smile; whether I am teaching, tutoring, or exploring ART I want everyone to leave my space smiling. There are so many reasons I enjoy teaching and creating with children. Building healthy relationships with people and allowing them also to have a space of not just creating but exploring various ways to learn and explore as well.
I grew up in a family full of educators so I knew I was going to be some sort of teacher I was just never sure about teaching. I frowned at the thought of being one of those teachers that only taught from the book and not from the heart. I wanted to be in a space where I was able to create my own curriculum and also incorporate a bit of creativity with it as well. I wanted kids to be excited to enter my space and leave with more than just notes. I strive for my students no matter the age; I want them all to leave with some inspiration and motivation to think outside the box and be aware of how and what they are learning.
Not only am I trying to curate a space for knowledge but also for mental health; the breakdown and understanding that children need to feel like themselves or that they can at least express themselves and still learn is imperative for the future.
It wasn’t until I entered undergrad and found my love for learning and I understood more that I was not just Dyslexic but I was also going through the hardest times in my life at that time. One of my favorite Professors at Mercer University was the older guy by the name Professor Herrington. On the first day of class he hands us all a journal and says “whatever you read I’d like you to tell me how you felt when you read it.” That sounded simple yet very intimidating, he only wanted to know what we felt about the words that we read from our chapters. I struggled the first few weeks simply because I didn’t know how to explain something that was already explained. The next few classes I was able to ask him one-on-one what he needed to read from our journals and his answer was so to the point, he only wanted to know our feelings about a story that we were all reading at the same time. Now of course not everyone was going to have the same understanding but he also gave us space to talk about it in class as an open discussion.
This exercise allowed me to see students that are all different have this space to talk among themselves and hear each other and learn more about the story than we knew before we read it. Till this day I have such a high respect for Professor Herrington and the way he taught us to vocal in a room full of people and to hear everything. That’s empowering to know that your voice no matter how small you think it is; its massive in rooms that you enter.
So, that’s what I want to do. Show kids and adults that mentally you are fully equip to learn new things in new spaces. I was that shy kid that didn’t want to show how dorky I was and how much of nerd I was.
I was bullied and hushed before I grew enough courage to be myself fully in spaces. I now know the power of being yourself and not being afraid to enter spaces that you may not believe you fit in. I know creatively I have a lot to offer but standing in front of mic telling jokes or reciting my poetry; I love that. But I am deeply passionate about making sure children have an opportunity to explore their art and education in a space they feel safe enough to be and learn,
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
My ability to make anyone laugh even when they don’t want to. Being a nerd means I am constantly with a book or tablet in my hand and trying to learn how to do something. I love that I am always down to learn something new. And my resilience has been something I hold true to; remembering my “why” and the ability to push myself no matter what. This journey has been a hectic one for sure but it’s been so rewarding as well.
My advice to those that are just breaking through the mold; keep breaking through! You are going to discover so many layers of yourself that you didn’t know were there. You are going to see people leave and go and that is okay. You are going to cry and fight your way through so many days and nights. Whatever your “it” is it will be so worth it in the end. You are going to erase so much but you are going to create, produce, and build so much more. Not just the projects but within yourself as well.
How would you spend the next decade if you somehow knew that it was your last?
My diagnosis with Epilepsy has halted so many things for me since 2022. I’ve felt punished and helpless like this came out of nowhere and now I have to change almost everything in my life. I’ve never had seizures ever; I’ve been a very active person and I thought out of all the things to get diagnosed with I had to get a “hurt brain.” Some days it’s easy and some days it feels like everyone knows and I’m the only one avoiding it. To call it a challenge is funny because I do feel challenged but I also feel strong. I’ve been through a lot and I’m here so this is something I can fight but I’m going to fight in a healthy way not toxic way. I feel as though I am a voice for Epilepsy now of course, and I get to show people how it looks and how you can live just as you (a little assistance) but lots of beautiful time that you get to live and enjoy just as you are.
Contact Info:
- Website: <iframe src=”https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/saysumthndifferent/embed” height=”102px” width=”400px” frameborder=”0″ scrolling=”no”></iframe>
- Instagram: @thepiecesofbee
Image Credits
I’m not your typical freelance photographer; I see Art through my lens no matter what I’m looking at. I create and design everything for my students and my program and the last one is one of my favorite groups of students I got to work with earlier last year; they impacted me in a way I can’t explain yet I’m forever grateful.
