Meet Edie Young

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Edie Young a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Edie, we are so deeply grateful to you for opening up about your journey with mental health in the hops that it can help someone who might be going through something similar. Can you talk to us about your mental health journey and how you overcame or persisted despite any issues? For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience.

I have multiple mental health issues, such as an anxiety disorder. I was anxious and nervous that my organization, We Are Artistic, would not do well, and multiple times I had thought about ending my organization, but I kept going because I reminded myself that artists need support and people need an organization that’s not about competition or who’s arts a better, so I kept going, and I am glad I did because now we are worldwide and have developed amazing partnerships with organizations such as Cards for Hospitalized Kids and The Cleverly Creatives.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

Hello! My name is Edie, and I am the founder & executive director of a worldwide organization called We Are Artistic. It is an organization that supports artists, artistic people, and people who appreciate art. We also use our art to uplift others. We regularly partner with Cards for Hospitalized Kids, a wonderful nonprofit started by Jen Rubino, to do card-making events where we have a table and supplies and we allow people of all walks of life to make cards for kids in hospitals. It is amazing to see all the people come by and make cards and see the impact. We regularly have people assume the cards have to be super artistic, when in reality the cards just have to have a simple message such as “You are awesome.” We have also partnered with Cleverly Creatives to host an amazing creativity festival.

I am also super excited to announce that we have recently partnered with Sustainable Scoops, an organization focused on , spreading awareness about sustainability through the media. On July 27th, we got invited to partake in an event they are co-sponsoring. At the event we will be hosting, spread the word to end the word table to spread awareness about inclusion and why the R word needs to end. I am so happy to see many organizations wanting to come together with my organization because it allows us to support the various organizations and them to support us.

We also host competitions, contests, and collabs, spread awareness through social media, and have a gallery where people can submit any creativity they have created because everyone’s creativity is good. Lastly, we also offer features on our social media, a Facebook group, and Discord for folks to come together in.

Having a space where people can come together and not get judged is important. Many artists at one point have likely felt that their art isn’t good enough. When in reality there is something good about everyone’s art.

The story behind We Are Artistic is that I am an artist myself, and I saw how hard it was to get support. I always loved bringing people together and providing resources. I noticed support was often costly and many online communities were unhealthy, so I got together with family and friends and started a small Facebook group, but then thought we could do so much more, so I made an Instagram account and a website, and people started joining.

In addition to We Are Artistic I also run an amazing school club called The Disability Student Alliance we bring together disabled people and their allies. We also host fun activities to bring my school to being more inclusive such as our annual Disability Justice Fair where we set up tables about different disability topics and have a passport where folks can go around and answer the questions for a prize. It amazes me to see my peers willing to learn about disabilities and how to be a better ally. We also host weekly welcoming and safe meetings where we do lessons, games, activities, and plan events. I wouldn’t be able to run this amazing club without my amazing officers & Ms Dorsey.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I think the three skills that have helped me the most are community organizing, teamwork, and leadership. I was a teen who had no idea about how to start an organization. Community organizing helps because, in order to make our events successful, I have to figure out the best ways to bring people together. I think teamwork is important because you can’t do everything on your own, so figuring out how to work in a team can bring so much success to your nonprofit. Lastly, in order to attract people, you have to be a good leader and make people feel appreciated.

The best way to improve your skills is to work with mentors, watch videos, take free courses, and try to improve each time. You will make mistakes the first few times but that is okay. I also want people to know it is okay to ask for help. We Are Artistic would not be where it is today without my friends, and other people.

I also want to thank teachers such as Ms. Maria, who inspired me to want to partake in the arts because she always supported me and others and created a welcoming classroom environment.

I also want to thank Ms. Hodge and Ms. Dorsey for being supportive of We Are Artistic and the Disability Student Alliance. Also for believing in me and my friends. They are both amazing teachers, like Ms. Maria.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

We are always looking to collaborate with other youth organizations because we love doing collaborations. We are also looking to collaborate with brands. Getting supplies for events can be costly. Thanks to brands that have partnered with us, we have been able to keep hosting events!

If you want to partner, you can get in touch with us at [email protected].

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.weareartistic.net
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weareartisticgroup/
• Other: Also check out my school club The Jackson Reed Disability Student Alliance: https://www.instagram.com/tigersdsa/