I Create Birmingham: Avani Patel
“I think relationships are integral to the design process. Jewelry is the most personal thing we wear. Clothing trends come and go, but fine jewelry is something we put on our bodies every day or on our most special occasions for the rest of our lives. We pass it down through generations. That means something.”
I Create Birmingham: Chris Hastings
“I was just a kid and didn’t know what my career would be, but in hindsight, [my summers around Pawley’s Island] was teaching me how to be a chef — how to think about where food comes from, the hope of that food — gathering it, cooking it, and sitting at a table with my family to eat it.”
I Create Birmingham: Andrea L. Taylor
“All of us were on this pilgrimage to advocate for positive social change… and in a way it became a touchstone for making future commitments geared toward finding ways that I could make a difference in my community.”
I Create Birmingham: John Scalici
“Everyone wants a purpose. Sometimes, it takes a while to find it and sometimes you haven’t had the opportunity to develop it, but it’s there. I like to call it ‘finding your personal rhythm.'”
We Create Birmingham: Thank You Books
“Birmingham is full of writers, readers, literary people, people with amazing taste, and people who want to have hard conversations. A bookstore can hold all of that in a really special way.”
I Create Birmingham: Carlton Bell
“We crave connection, and I think that is what theatre is all about — connecting stories to audiences and, more importantly, finding the common experiences and emotions that connect us all.”
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
We Create Birmingham: Anna Foshee
We Create Birmingham: Min Sun Lee
“When I moved to the States to live with my dad, art connected us. He drew every day, and I began to draw with him. It was a way for us to bond after all this time apart.”
We Create Birmingham: Eryka Perry
“CO.STARTERS helped me understand my value and figure out how to grow… I think financial success and emotional fulfillment are often sold as being mutually exclusive, but we get to choose our realities, and having both is possible.”
We Create Birmingham: Deanna Sirkot
“In my family, there were a lot of artists, artisans, and art lovers. So, it’s always been a part of who I am… I knew I wanted to be a part of connecting art and community.”
We Create Birmingham: Irene Latham + Karim Shamsi-Basha
“One small act can create change… That can happen anywhere.”
We Create Birmingham: Katherine Cobbs
“Moving here and immediately being immersed in the food scene with local chefs allowed me to really get to know Birmingham, Alabama, and the South through this culinary lens. It was indoctrination by food!”
We Create Birmingham: Eric Wallace
“Having the opportunity to connect through a shared passion can radically change how you see the world and navigate your life moving forward.”
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