Meet Dr. Zerric Clinton

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dr. Zerric Clinton. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Dr. Zerric, 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?

Working on art projects is something that I just enjoy, but there are times when the creative fuel gets a little low. During those times I rely on my fellow artists for motivation and suggestions. I am one of the lucky ones that have a nucleus of artist friends that genuinely care about my success, and I support them as well. This time of mutual respect and genuine concern is the basis for keeping my creativity alive. Another thing that I have learned is to just continue to work daily. Each day I work on something related to my art craft. Often, it is a series of sketches, but other times I am researching artists whose works I like and have different approaches. What I have noticed is that learning different approaches gives me ideas about how I might incorporate certain aspects into my compositions. There is no way that an artist can keep their creativity alive in a vacuum. As an artist you must get out of your studio sometime and interact. Visiting museums and galleries feeds my creativity as well. It’s not easy to explain, but I just get a joyful feeling when I see new shows and I am able to listen to artist talks. There is always something to take a second or maybe even a third look. Insight on different thought processes also fuels my creativity.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

At this time, I am focused on two areas of my professional career. The first thing that I am focused on is informing stakeholders about ways that youth must be assisted in becoming critical thinkers. I say this because popular culture appears to be a powerful engine that youth must manage. The influence of popular culture on education is profound, shaping not only how students learn but also how they engage with the world around them. My book The Power of Popular Culture in Education: History, Music and Visual Imagery deals with this very topic, and I have lessons inside those stakeholders can use to help youth become those critical thinkers. Recently, I have had several presentations. One presentation that went well was a two-person presentation titled Partnering with Parents for Power with author of 31 Days of Surrender Michael Allen. My second focus is creating mixed-media artwork. Recently. I had a solo show called Identity Politics. In this art show my work focused on the various social issues that we seem to be bombarded with daily. For me, my work is my way of speaking to these issues in a positive way to inform and inspire people. I think that my art tells a story that maybe cannot be expressed through words and sometimes people inform me of things that resonate with them when they view my work. This fuels my creativity and compels me to keep going.

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?

For me the three qualities that come to mind are Discipline, Resilience and Empathy. On this journey called life I know these are the things that have sustained me and compelled me to become the person that I am. In terms of advice to those that are early in their journey you must remember that being successful in any area of your life is going to require immense effort. Sometimes, you are going to have to expend much more energy than you realize to become the person you envision. When tough times come, you must decide to quit or take a break and continue to persevere. Your reasons for wanting what you want to have to be greater than concerning yourself with the time it might take or the length you may have to go to achieve your goal. Nothing good is going to come easy. That is where your discipline must kick in and your resilience shows the world who you really are. As the saying goes, adversity introduces you to yourself. It is like a mirror that you must investigate and decide how bad do I want this and is it worth it.

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

Yes. I am looking to collaborate with people that want to empower youth. My premise is that we must work to help our youth develop a better mindset in a variety of areas, but specifically to help them to be able to respond correctly to their environment. Being a veteran educator for over two decades I understand how critical it is for all stakeholders to form alliances if we are going to see any real changes. Popular culture is a powerful entity that comes in various forms to influence, and I know it will only intensify. So, anyone that has similar interests would be someone that I would like to collaborate with to work on assisting youth in creating a better legacy for themselves.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zerricarts/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zerric-clinton-1299b284
• Other: https://www.positivepushpress.com/power-of-popular-culture