I Create Birmingham: Lee Shook
“Having lived here almost all of my adult life, I’ve never seen the city so vibrant and alive with music and it’s a really special thing to watch take root…. It’s a pretty amazing time to be a music lover in the Magic City”
I Create Birmingham: J. and Matt Whitson
“Generally, though, we just don’t want to shoot guys pressing buttons on a computer or a single person on stage because there’s not a lot to look at. A dynamic band with members that are all doing something is always the best.”
I Create Birmingham: Sara Garden Armstrong
“Put yourself in positions where you feel lost. It gives you incredible energy to face and solve problems. Connect with your fellow artists. Your community is what really helps you survive.”
I Create Birmingham: Tam DeBolt
“What do I want to see more of? Collaboration – theatres working together, sharing knowledge, sharing resources, and helping each other.”
I Create Birmingham: Willie Williams
“There is a need for young people who are art inclined to be given opportunities to express themselves.”
I Create Birmingham: Miriam Omura
“You need the support of people around you – your family, friends, etc. That support gives you miles of advantage over people who are being told ‘you’re never going to make anything of yourself as an artist.’”
I Create Birmingham: Preston Lovinggood
“Writing and recording an album can be maddening and chaotic…. I have found that it’s important for my creative process to be involved with other co-writers as much as possible.”
I Create Birmingham: Morgan Johnston
“Birmingham is on the precipice of something really great and it’s only going to sustain and grow if we each support these things, encourage these things and share these thing”
I Create Birmingham: Maggie Ballard
“One day you’ll get that ‘yes’ as long as you keep trying and don’t give up. Don’t ever stop chasing your dreams, because one day you will reach it.”
I Create Birmingham: Robert Hernandez
“The festival really captures all of your five senses and brings the community together like no other event I’ve experienced around the country.”
I Create Birmingham: Paul Cordes Wilm
“Everyone has their own niche, and you have to find you own unique way in to presenting your art, not just in to the art world, but to the world.”
I Create Birmingham: Eric and Kayla Holsomback
“I was on a quest to find the best ginger ale that used good ingredients. I made a batch myself and it won. “
We Create Birmingham: Willie Williams of Studio 2500
We Create Birmingham: Klein Arts and Culture
We Create Birmingham: Andrea Early
We Create Birmingham: Ashley Woods
We Create Birmingham: Will Mason
We Create Birmingham: Aaliyah Taylor and Gelenda Norman
We Create Birmingham: Jordan Higgins and Jacob Patrick of Electra Film Lab
We Create Birmingham: Cameron Sankey
We Create Birmingham: Dr. Leah Tucker
We Create Birmingham: Tyler Jones
We Create Birmingham: Edina Shrestha
We Create Birmingham: Cristal Laraé Brister
We Create Birmingham: Jessica Moody
We Create Birmingham: Ursula Smith
We Create Birmingham: Anthony Waller
We Create Birmingham: Viola Ratcliffe
We Create Birmingham: Jorge Castro
We Create Birmingham: Anna Foshee
I Create Birmingham: Randi Pink
“There’s nothing wrong with having a career in a non-creative field, but if you are unhappy and pining for something else, that’s what you should be pursuing…. [my mom] said I was brilliant and didn’t need to fit the same mold in order to be brilliant and engaging and successful.”
I Create Birmingham: Shelly Ann Edge
“Inclusivity is important. I’m really proud of how diverse our group is and that our girls get to experience diversity on all kinds of levels: gender identity, socioeconomic status, religion, and race. They are building relationships with others they may not have connected with under ordinary circumstances, and we volunteers get to watch those relationships grow.”
I Create Birmingham: Michele Forman
“We have such a deep, deep storytelling tradition here in the south. That’s part of what we are known for nationally and internationally in terms of literature. But we haven’t had a major presence in the film industry and are so often poorly illustrated in mainstream media. I really saw this as a powerful way to add this region’s voices to the chorus to help understand what life is like in America.”
I Create Birmingham: Marceon Walker
“I am a product of my community, my parents, and my upbringing. That is where my inspiration and drive come from. I know what my life might look like if I stay on a traditional path. I could go to college and pursue a more traditional career. I could go to work after graduating and work my way up in someone else’s company. But I want more than that. I want to create something for myself, and I know that I can.”
I Create Birmingham: Doug Baulos
“I want young artists to know that there is absolutely a place for them, and that it is entirely possible to have a rewarding art career here in Alabama.”
I Create Birmingham: Greg Entrekin
“I hope that Rakkos feels like the antithesis of a music festival. We’re calling it a “gathering” — a chance to enjoy the combination of sonic and visual arts in partnership with each other and the natural landscape in a way that feels more restorative.”
We Create Birmingham: Willie Williams of Studio 2500
We Create Birmingham: Klein Arts and Culture
We Create Birmingham: Andrea Early
We Create Birmingham: Ashley Woods
We Create Birmingham: Will Mason
We Create Birmingham: Aaliyah Taylor and Gelenda Norman
We Create Birmingham: Jordan Higgins and Jacob Patrick of Electra Film Lab
We Create Birmingham: Cameron Sankey
We Create Birmingham: Dr. Leah Tucker
We Create Birmingham: Tyler Jones
We Create Birmingham: Edina Shrestha
We Create Birmingham: Cristal Laraé Brister
We Create Birmingham: Jessica Moody
We Create Birmingham: Ursula Smith
We Create Birmingham: Anthony Waller
We Create Birmingham: Viola Ratcliffe
We Create Birmingham: Jorge Castro