Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Carmen Moses

Carmen Moses shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Carmen, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
Drawing always makes me lose track of time. Especially when I’m having a hard day, I go home, put on headphones, and draw for hours. I work with colored pencils, and the tactility, the repetition of movement, and being surrounded by beautiful colors are enough to restore my soul.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m a multidisciplinary artist working as a site director for the Jessye Norman School of the Arts, a non-profit after-school program that specializes in arts education for late elementary, middle, and high school students. I always said I never wanted to be a teacher, but teaching found me and transformed my life. I taught for about 5 years, and now run daily operations as well as working to build up our literacy and tutoring program, among many other duties and responsibilities that I do my best to execute with diligence, pride, and care. I look at everything I do through an artistic, problem-solving lens, and that has really helped me not only to become a better educator and community member, it has really transformed my art practice– Because this career path is so creative, I find that the collaborative environment and the free, non-judgmental flow of ideas truly feeds my soul. Right now, in my spare creative time, I’m working on a massive, stream-of-conciousness colored pencil piece, a series of 100 8×8 squares that all interconnect and flow into eachother.

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
My teachers- more specifically, my high school and middle school english teachers. They saw me, recognized me as a young human who was going through a lot of trauma, and encouraged me to continue nurturing my natural creative gifts. I think it is because of them that I have enjoyed being in education – I get to pass along the legacy of good teachers showing all kids that their creative voice deserves to be heard and encouraged, that they are valid and worthy of love, and that there will always be someone who believes in them, even when others don’t.

When you were sad or scared as a child, what helped?
Writing always helped me when I had very few avenues to get mentorship and counseling as a kid. I was a prolific writer, and although I don’t write as much as I used to, I still find myself turning to journaling and writing to help me sort out whatever is troubling me. I had stacks and stacks of journals, decorated with stickers or collages and little memories pasted inside. It was the only avenue I had to share feelings, fears, hopes, and dreams. I didn’t realize that I was just sharing them with myself in the future, in hopes that things would get better. And in a sense, they did.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
Luckily I work with one of my best friends, so I asked her directly before answering this question. My closest friends would say the things that matter to me the most are inclusion, compassion for everyone, and respect.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Are you tap dancing to work? Have you been that level of excited at any point in your career? If so, please tell us about those days. 
I find a reason to dance and celebrate at my job every day. When I see a kid accomplish something they thought was impossible, when a coworker thinks of something spectacular to do that they might be a little unsure of at first, when we work collaboratively and make big things happen that we were only dreaming of before. I get to watch the next generation grow up and do amazing things every day, I get to see grown-ups who are humble enough to learn along with the kids we teach and mentor, and I am so grateful that I have a career so full of meaning and purpose.

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Image Credits
These images are mine! 🙂

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