Location: Lowcountry

  • Cookie Washington

    Cookie Washington

    Interview

    Transcript

     00:00 Victoria Bartolotto 

    Hello, everybody! My name is Victoria, and I’m talking with Cookie Washington, a creative professional working from and within South Carolina. As we get started, can you tell us your current career and just where you’re from? 

    00:14 Cookie Washington 

    Hi, I am Cookie Washington, and I currently live in Goose Creek, South Carolina. I’ve lived in South Carolina for forty years, but I’m not originally from here. I came here and fell in love with the place, and I’ve stayed. 

    00:30 Victoria Bartolotto 

    Great, so before we get into the nitty-gritty details of your profession, can you give us a little elevator pitch about what quilting and ragging is? 

    00:41 Cookie Washington 

    You know how some people feel instantly comforted by a handmade quilt or a basket? You know that moment when your hands brush against soft fabric that has possibly lived another life? Well, I believe in a world drowning in fast fashion and waste; we’re desperate for things that last. Things that feel like home. That carry history, and that do not harm Mother Earth. 

    Futility is my line of handcrafted rugs, baskets, home goods, and totes rooted in the Gullah tradition of rag quilting, an indigenous no-sew method created from necessity. We transformed discarded textiles into soulful, functional art for everyday living. Each piece is made by me in the South Carolina Low Country using century-old techniques passed down by Black women who knew how to make beauty from nothingness. 

    I’ve been featured in some national press, and I’ve taught at the Smithsonian. Futility is redefining luxury as a sustainable, emotional, and ancestral craft. 

    01:52 Victoria Bartolotto 

    Thank you so much, that was great! 

    01:55 Cookie Washington 

    Thank you. 

    01:58 Victoria Bartolotto 

    So, as a quilter, is there anything that South Carolina, or the Lowcountry in particular, that brings some uniqueness to your work? What kind of influence does South Carolina have on it? 

    02:11 Cookie Washington 

    Being surrounded by water on three sides; I’m in the Charleston area, so we’re in a peninsula. The colors of the marshes, and the sky, and the beautiful birds that fly around in my neighborhood very much inspire me. I also try really hard to upcycle and reuse things that have gone before.  

    One of the ways that I got into this part of my career was, I lost my mother in October of 2023, and then I lost my brother 90 days later in January of 2024. I was obviously overwhelmed and in huge grief. I was both of their executors, and I didn’t know what to do with their clothing. I didn’t want to just throw it out. I’m a way different size than my mom was, so I couldn’t wear her clothes, and my daughters didn’t want clothes from their 89-year-old grandmother. 

    So, I was sitting, going through some things with my mom’s, and I found a really old picture of me and my grandmother, her mother, sitting on the porch, and we were weaving rag rugs together. I had kind of forgotten about that, and I thought, “oh, I know how to turn this into baskets.” So, I took my mother’s and my brother’s clothes, and I created a basket. For each of the cousins. My mother was the last surviving one of her generations. She had 16 siblings. 

    03:50 Victoria Bartolotto 

    Oh, wow. 

    03:51 Cookie Washington 

    She was very last one that passed. So, when the cousins came down for our memorial, I made baskets for the ones that I knew were really close and important to her. 

    I wove some things of my brother’s into that too. When he passed away, I wanted to present his son with a living memory, so I made him a beautiful basket as well. My brother had been in the military, and so I wove in some of his old uniforms, and he loved the beach, so there was beach clothing. I even ripped up one of his kites that he had used and put that all into a weaving to honor him. To make it as a piece of living memory that will hopefully last for a couple more generations. 

    04:39 Victoria Bartolotto 

    Yeah, wow, that is extremely touching and definitely personal. Is there a particular piece of clothing or cloth that you liked working with? I crochet, so I know a little bit about  handmaking stuff, and I know a lot of the different fabrics feel different when you’re working with them. Was there a particular one that you enjoy? 

    05:02 Cookie Washington 

    I use rag crochet, so I rip up old sheets or old clothing, into 1-to-1.5-inch strips, and I crochet with a size 7 needle. 

    05:13 Victoria Bartolotto 

    Mmm. 

    05:14 Cookie Washington 

    Because it’s really important to me because I found this statistic out, and it drove me crazy. There’s about one hundred fifteen pounds of textile waste that goes into the landfill for every single American every year. Think about it, there are three hundred fifty million of us. 

    So, one of the things that I do that I think is really important in my work is whenever I make something, I weigh it. And write it down so that I’m trying to get to zero. I have zero waste by the end of the year. I’ve made rugs that are 4 pounds, and 10 pounds, and baskets that are a pound and a half or something. I write that all down, and by the end of each year, I try to make sure that I have at least used my 115 pounds of textiles so that I’m taking them out of the landfill.  

    This is important to me because landfills are generally in the neighborhoods of people who look like me. It’s poisoning the land. It’s poisoning the groundwater, and I’m very concerned about that. Only about 15% to 18% of what you would buy from a thrift store or Goodwill is ever used. The rest of it is packed up and shipped to another continent to ruin their land. I’m trying in my very small way to help that. 

    06:39 Victoria Bartolotto 

    Before entering quilting professionally, did you have any fears about doing it professionally and making a living off of it, or was there anything that held you back? 

    06:51 Cookie Washington 

    Another great question, Victoria, thank you. Before I started quilting, I was making upscale wedding gowns. 

    I have a degree in nursing from Johns Hopkins, and I realized that I couldn’t do that. I was a neonatal nurse, and the first baby that died under my care, it was just devastating. So, I went home, and I’d just gotten married, and had my own babies, and I thought, “I have to do something.” It was easier for me to stay at home and take care of my children. And, I have sewn since I was four. 

    Being able to make beautiful upscale wedding dresses here in the Lowcountry, and as well as raise my children, I have three children, was very important to me. I did, at one point, get a little stressed about bridezillas, and I thought “I will do something different.” 

    I saw the most amazing exhibit; it was the Communion of the Spirits exhibit by Roland Freeman at the Gibbs Museum in Charleston. I had been gifted the book for Christmas the year before. To see those quilts in person, it was like…wow! I’m also a crazy activist. I realized that I was waging peace against people who were trying to wage war, and I thought. I have so much that I could say in cloth. It’s my voice in the cloth. 

    So, I could change the way that I was trying to get my point across in a more gentle, easy-to-digest way. So that’s how I started doing art quilting. I don’t do traditional [quilting]. This is not like your grandmother’s quilt. 

    08:45 Victoria Bartolotto 

    Oh, yeah. 

    08:46 Cookie Washington 

    I’m never gonna make a bed quilt that’s 9 patches or something. I work a lot with Black mermaids and African goddesses and queens in my work, and so that’s really important to me, because you don’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve been. I want very much, especially now that I’m the grandmother of three granddaughters, I want them to know that the history of Black women in America or in the world did not start on a slave station somewhere in South Carolina or Mississippi.  

    We have been regarded as goddesses for four thousand years. We need to remember that and claim that. Whether it’s a myth or whether it’s the truth, just knowing that there is some scholarship around those stories. I think makes you walk a little taller, makes you feel a little more important, and so I love that. 

    09:43 Victoria Bartolotto 

    Definitely, yeah. That is so important. Do you have any advice for possibly young adults or students who would want to get into just either quilting, ragging, or just making with their hands in general? Are there any particular skills? Obviously, there are some skills that one would need. What would be kinds of those skills? 

    10:07 Cookie Washington 

    Other than having the technical skill of being able to sew, or crochet, or knit, or weave, the thing that I think you most need is patience. Decisiveness, and you’ve got to learn how to market. That is so important, and you need to know your worth. I’ve seen there’s some incredible people who are crocheting clothes, which is something I don’t do. 

     But they’ll make an entire wedding gown, or the most beautiful coat, and they’re like, “oh, well, $300.” It’s like, “no, no, no, there’s $200 worth of yarn in that.” 

    10:50 Victoria Bartolotto 

    Yes. 

    10:52 Cookie Washington 

    I usually keep a little notebook when I’m sitting in my studio. I’ll say, “Okay, I started working on this particular project at 9 AM, and I go through lunch, and I sign off. Okay, I did 3 hours.” At the end of the project, you’ll know how many hours you spent. I pay myself about $25 an hour or more, depending on the technique that I’m using. You add that up, plus the price of your ingredients.  

    I’m currently working on a really cool orange and pink, large tote bag out of tee-shirt yarn. And, I’m at hour five, and I think I’ll be able to finish it in about nine or ten hours. I need to know that for myself, so that I can price it correctly. 

    I would say to many, many people who are trying to get started in this, in any kind of arts career, find a mentor who will be very honest with you. Sometimes you think that you’re doing something fantastic, and it’s not quite there. Or you’re just duplicating something else. You want to be original; you don’t want to be a copyist. 

    The other thing I would suggest to people, especially in any kind of textile arts: go to the most expensive, like Neiman Marcus, or iMagnon or something, and look at what they’re selling their handmade, crocheted, or knitted goods for. Take that as a way to think about pricing your stuff. Everything that they’re getting is probably coming from overseas, and they’re probably not paying those people anywhere near what they’re charging. So I think that it’s important for us to, especially in America, at this time, where it’s so difficult to find work-work. As we’re becoming more hands-on. I think we’re switching back to analog work. Rather than an infection of AI or whatever.  

    I think we just need to know our worth, and we need to work hard to be successful. Some people think, “Oh, I’m going to start a business, and I’m gonna be able to have lunch with my friends three days a week, and I’m going to get to go sailing.” No, you’re gonna sit in your studio sometimes till two o’clock in the morning, but if you want it badly enough, it really will happen. 

    13:34 Victoria Bartolotto 

    I can totally empathize with the whole textile situation. I have friends who will ask me for sweaters, or for blankets, and they’re like, “Oh, well, can you get it to me by the end of the week?” I’m a full-time student, and I’m working two jobs. I would look at them like, “That’s gonna take me at least fifteen hours to do.” 

    13:56 Cookie Washington 

    Even if you weren’t, you’re not a genie. You’re a craftsperson. 

    14:03 Victoria Bartolotto 

    So, I can totally imagine. 

    14:04 Cookie Washington 

    When they ask you for something for free, I think that’s the hardest part. It’s learning to say no. 

    You want a blanket for the baby, and you’re always glad when someone is bringing a new life into the world, but if you spend ten hours on that, and they say, “Oh, I’ll pay for your yarn.” The yarn is the smallest part of it. It’s your labor, it’s your love. You need to be compensated for that.  

    I think telling people, “Oh okay, well, my crocheted baby blankets start at $450. My hand-crocheted or hand-quilted baby blankets start at this other price, and this is why.” 

    Then shut up, because people go “$400 for a baby blanket? I thought…” Let them talk themselves into it or out of it. No is a complete sentence. “No. I will not make you a baby blanket for $50. Unless it’s out of air.” Be very firm and confident in yourself. 

    15:20 Victoria Bartolotto 

    Yeah. Well, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me today. I am so grateful and honored to hear from you, especially from somebody who works with textiles as well.  

    15:30 Cookie Washington 

    You have a wonderful afternoon, hon! 

    15:33 Victoria Bartolotto 

    You as well. It was a pleasure speaking with you. 

    15:35 Cookie Washington 

    It’s a pleasure speaking with you too, hon. Bye-bye. 

  • Paul Mento

    “Read, read, read. Novels hold a wealth of knowledge, experiences, and creativity.” 

    Quick Facts

    Education: Undergraduate School

    Years of Experience: 37 Years

    About

    A producer, writer, and director at Silver Hand Productions, Paul Mento has been tinkering with the camera since elementary school. As his passion turned into a career, he primarily works with documentaries, short films, and commercial media. Mento’s documentary, “Howard Pyle, and the Illustrated Story,” was recently accepted by the George Lucas Museum of Narrative Arts in Los Angeles.  

    Originally from Wilmington, Delaware, he initially became interested in shooting Super 8 films, borrowing his father’s equipment. “I was part of Explorers in high school, which had a program that centered around advertising and media,” he says, “I was immediately hooked.” 

    What captivates Mento about filmmaking are its interdisciplinary roles, all working towards one project. In addition, he is inspired by the involvement of multiple skills across the team, from researching to camera operation. He encourages aspiring filmmakers to read and engage critically with literature, for it can serve as a springboard for ideas. 

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  • Jeannie Rounsefell

     “If you can’t go to sleep until you have done this thing, you will never rest easy. Be curious, challenge the world and yourself.”

    Quick Facts

    Education: Some elementary school in Aiken, SC; Self-taught

    Years of Experience: 40 Years

    About

    Jeannie Rounsefell started creating art out of necessity.  She was broke, young, a single mother, and had an urge inside of her to create something from her surroundings. Such objects were unlikely materials; unloved items and forgotten things other people had long given up on. 

    Forty years later, she calls herself a trash pirate (a compliment to her work). Jeannie’s creations are built on humor, irreverence, and a deep love for the absurd. She has a vast working knowledge of tools and processes, almost all of it earned through trial and error.  This knowledge establishes a vast pocket of problem-solving skills, to which she implements both into her practice every day.  

    As for her career, her whole philosophy is that she simply creates. Jeannie follows what interests her, works with what she discovers, and allows the material to speak for itself. It is a practice grounded in freedom and curiosity.  She supports herself with her making, which is what she intended and continues to do. For anyone wondering whether to start, her answer is short and clear: “Do it. If it keeps you up at night, you already know you have to.” 
     

  • Joshua L. Shumak

    Joshua L. Shumak

    Interview

    Transcript

    00:00 Ryleigh Kelley 

    Hello, my name is Ryleigh Kelley, and today we are talking with Joshua Shumak, a professional creative working from and within South Carolina. As we get started, can you tell us your current career and where you’re from? 

    00:23 Joshua Shumak 

    I serve as the tribal liaison for the State Commission for Community Advancement and Engagement, as well as the Assistant Chief for the Wasamasaw Tribe of Barnertown Indians. 

    I am from Monk’s Corner, South Carolina, moved to North Charleston, South Carolina, and ever since I took on my state role, I’ve been in Columbia working statewide. 

    00:46 Ryleigh Kelley 

    Before we get into the details of your profession and what you do, we have this brief little section of the interview called “One Career, Sixty Seconds”, where you describe your job in sixty seconds or less, similar to an elevator pitch. 

    01:03 Joshua Shumak 

    Understood. 

    01:04 Ryleigh Kelley 

    So, let me get my timer started. Alright, are you ready? 

    01:16 Joshua Shumak 

    Yeah, yeah, we’ll see. Maybe I’ll have less than sixty seconds, maybe more. We’ll see. 

     01:21 Ryleigh Kelley 

    Alright, great. Okay, let’s begin. You’re on the clock. 

     01:25 Joshua Shumak 

    I’m Joshua Shumak, and I’m a Native American leader and cultural preservationist from South Carolina. I serve the Assistant Chief with the Wasmassaw Tribe of Warner Town Indians. 

    And for a little bit over the past decade, my work is centered around Native American affairs, where I focus on advancing tribal communities through policy, partnerships, and programming across the state. 

    My work mainly centers on historic and cultural preservation, food sovereignty, expanding opportunities for Native American artists and small businesses across the state. I’ve led some initiatives ranging from statewide cultural programming, film festivals, agricultural and community development projects that directly support tribal citizens. 

    And really, at the core of everything I do, I do it with a commitment to preserving our state’s Native American history and culture, and ensuring that Native American communities are represented, not just for our presence in the past, but as peoples who actively shape the future of the state. 

     02:21 Ryleigh Kelley 

    Oh, perfect! You had three seconds left. That was really good. Thanks for playing! 

     In your profession, is there anything South Carolina, or in your region, or in the city in particular, brings to your work? Does it have a unique influence on you compared to people in the same profession in different states? 

     02:45 Joshua Shumak 

    When we’re talking about Native American affairs, I think it’s really different state to state. I’ve worked in South Carolina for this past decade, but I’ve also talked with some of my correspondence and equivalents in Georgia, North Carolina, Minnesota, and even when I spoke at the UN, I got a lot of different worldviews and perspectives. 

     Each state has its own history, and that history and how it’s worked with its Native people shape where their Native people are today. There are some states where there’s a lot more opportunity, and there are some states where there’s a lot less opportunity. My job has been trying to find out where those opportunities have been in other states, and seeing if I can bring them into our states. Working with our Native American business owners, our Native American artists, seeing if I can put them into some more mainstream art shows. 

    I’ve worked with the Columbia Museum of the Arts. We’ve been doing our Native American Art Marketplace during Soda City for the past four years now. I know that the Native American Studies Center at USC Lancaster has also been a big supporter and are even doing their quarterly art shows now, along with their monthly programming. And there’s just so many different partnerships that are getting built out across the state. And so, even though we started in 2005, with statewide Native American programming and positioning, I think that we are slowly coming along. 

    04:08 Ryleigh Kelley 

    You mentioned that you spoke at the UN, is that correct? 

    04:11 Joshua Shumak 

    That’s correct. 

     04:12 Ryleigh Kelley 

    Could you talk a little bit more about that experience? 

     04:15 Joshua Shumak 

    That was the first time I had been to Geneva, Switzerland. It was a very interesting experience. The food is very different. I love the public transportation. You can just go anywhere by their little train system. 

    It was my first time speaking at that body. I think I was the first representative or tribal delegate from South Carolina to approach that specifically for the expert mechanism on the rights of Indigenous people.  

    The UN Voluntary Fund brought me up to represent South Carolina in that conversation; basically talking about what are the things that we’ve gone through, what are the things we are looking at, those to connect with some of our peers, both in the United States and the Indigenous population across the globe. 

    05:01 Ryleigh Kelley 

    Very cool, very cool. 

    You were talking about the UN and these really interesting experiences, but was there a defining moment in your life which had an impact on your creative journey? 

    And was there any particular project or something you produced which showcased your creativity in a way that it never had before? 

     05:25 Joshua Shumak 

    Well, coming from a Native community, I feel like I’ve been ingrained in the arts and culture since a very young age. I know that since 2005, I’ve been going to our local my tribe-specific culture classes, which are usually monthly culture classes where we do pottery, basket weaving, and beadwork.  

    I’ve been very blessed to have taken some apprenticeships through our cultural preservationist, Tammy Leach, who is a Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Award winner, who herself learned some of her artistic skills from Will Goins, who was another Gene Laney Harris Folk Heritage Award winner. 

    And having been able to work since 2005 to present day, and now actively working in our community, I think one of the things that is the best that I have seen come out is some of the programming is what we’ve been able to do with our own youth. 

     For example, we just started our own master apprenticeship program based on the one I was able to take through the South Carolina Art Commission with Tammy, and now I believe we have about fifteen different apprentices being trained by five different masters, all from different tribes, to bring in some of that culture. 

    Something about Native American communities is that, especially on the East Coast, our culture was very targeted and erased due to the Code of Indian offenses, which was a code that existed that basically, illegalized a lot of our ceremonies, a lot of our arts, a lot of our practices. 

    It’s only now recently, within the past twenty to thirty years, we’ve been actively allowed and actively pursuing these practices publicly that had been stripped from us. And so that, all these tribal artists and culture bearers coming together, being able to bring them together, work together with them to re-inject that in our tribe and recultivate that in our youth is something that I think I’ve seen that is very important to my community. 

    07:15 Ryleigh Kelley 

    With this kind of tension that you’ve outlined, especially growing up in Native American community, being ingrained in the arts from such a young age, but also there is that external, cultural erasure slash pressure. Before entering your field, did you have any fears about becoming a creative professional? And if you did, what inspired you to continue beyond them? 

     I know you’ve kind of discussed that  throughout the interview, but, what really inspired you to just work beyond those barriers and try to push against those? 

    07:54 Joshua Shumak 

    I think that your question raises a few good points. I think almost it’s the wrong question, only because from my perspective, coming from a twentieth century child, twenty-first century, I think we are going through life not understanding our history. For me, I really didn’t start understanding the importance of the history of my community or these cultural practices, even though I grew up ingrained in it, until I was about fifteen to my early years in college. 

    When I started to get exposed more to other people, other communities, I started to really appreciate and realize the importance of my own community. And I think for me. The kind of the erasure of community that you see going along throughout the nation, just as urbanization comes with the rise of the internet. Some of the things that are fraying community bonds all across the nation, not just the Native communities. 

    It really helped inspire me. That it was so important to make sure that we were able to keep culture alive, keep practices alive, document it, and try to especially capture and inspire tribal youth. I think that having that cultural identity also can bring a lot of pride and be an anchor in a world that can blow you away. 

    09:15 Ryleigh Kelley 

    You’re talking about talking to tribal youth and bringing awareness to what you do. With that being said, do you have any advice for young adults or students who have an interest in pursuing a similar career in the creative world? Are there any particular skills one should practice or have before entering this industry? 

     09:40 Joshua Shumak 

    I think that we all take ourselves very seriously as people. I have that issue sometimes. I think once you learn it’s okay to make mistakes, it’s okay to be silly, and it’s okay to learn, because I think a lot of things that stops people from getting involved in creativity, or even things that they don’t fully understand, is that discomfort that, “Will I be laughed at, will I pick it up?” 

    You will make mistakes, and it’s okay to make mistakes. I think that’s why it’s so good to have mentors within whatever field you’re trying to go into, and to be able to laugh at yourself.  

    It’s kind of the same thing when you go into public speaking. You have to know how to have fun with it. Otherwise, you’re just going to tremble and just sit there in that discomfort. I think it’s all about a mindset that you have to be okay with. Okay with learning something new, knowing that there are going to be bumps along the way. 

    10:33 Ryleigh Kelley 

    I resonate with that, because it can be easy to take yourself seriously, but I like that piece of advice to have fun with it, and whatnot. So that was the last of my questions. Is there anything particular that you would like to speak on, before we wrap up? 

    10:44 Joshua Shumak 

    I am bad at speaking about myself, but I’m really good at answering questions. So ask away anything that may have piqued your interest that you might want to know a little bit more about. 

    11:07 Ryleigh Kelley 

    I would love to hear about how you mentioned that you didn’t get really into learning more about your community until you were a teenager. Could you maybe talk about that experience a little bit more? 

    11:21 Joshua Shumak 

    Well, for me, up until I started to actually get truly engaged with my community. 

    It almost seemed like a little bit of a chore when you’re a kid, and you’re like, “Oh, why is history important? Why is this important? I want to go play video games; I want to go and do this fun thing over here.” I think it’s that aspect of not knowing what you’re sitting on.  

    It’s kind of like whenever someone in your family dies, or your grandparent dies, and you’re like, “I should have been closer to this person,” and then you hear all the stories about them after the fact. 

     And I feel like it’s kind of like that mindset where you suddenly have that shift, and you see what’s important, especially in your community and your context. And I think that shift happened to me, like I said, end of high school, early college for myself. 

     After that, I was very much involved in my community, working with tribal government, working with the cultural preservation team, bringing in cultural programming and other programming for my tribe, and some collaborations with other tribes around the state. 

    12:24 Ryleigh Kelley 

    Very cool. One common thread I’ve seen, or I’ve noticed, as you’re talking about is the kind of intention that you have behind your creative practice is mindset. And I feel like, especially right now, there’s all these different pressures and external forces. Especially as young adults, it can be easy to get swept up in that. When a young creative is kind of, like, trying to navigate all those spaces and craft their mindset. 

     I know you briefly talked about this a little bit, what are some pointers or just gentle reminders that young adults and young creatives should remember when they’re crafting that mindset, amidst all these different potential distractions and whatnot. 

    13:24 Joshua Shumak 

    I think you have to find joy in what you’re doing. I worked in beadwork with seed beads and master beadwork. I’ve also now started working more seriously in pottery. I find both of them very fun. I think sometimes, for me, some of the hardest things were actually doing hands-on art. 

    13:46 Ryleigh Kelley 

    Yes. 

    13:47 Joshua Shumak 

    Psyching myself up to get started, because I know it’s a long process, and once I get started, I’m good. Then it’s psyching myself up from there.  

    I think it’s a lot about community, too. Like, do you know somebody that you’re willing to go up to and say, “Hey, are you willing to teach me this? Is that available to you? Does your city have an art guild if your community isn’t as involved in it?” 

    I think a big part about Native American art that I feel is that it’s very stereotyped still. In that regard, where it comes from. It’s very hard for emerging Native artists who are practicing folk art specifically to be able to put their art in places contemporarily. Because you see these museums sometimes that — let’s bring up Catawba pottery, for example. That is a very strong folk art. It has a very unique, distinct style to it. 

     And you see sometimes, a museum or an art museum may say, “We have this piece from 1924, why do I need to invest in this kid’s piece from 2026?” And so you see that that does not happen as much. 

     And I think just the fact that folk art is less celebrated across the United States right now means that a lot of these grants that museums have don’t really apply to that category, so sometimes it’s hard to get that breakout for Native artists who specifically are using folk art. 

    I was even talking with South Arts and different programming that could be involved in potentially making funds specifically for African American community, the Native American community’s art acquisition in museums, which I think would be very, very needed. But I think sometimes they can be discouraging, so I think sometimes trying to find these opportunities is very hard for young Native creatives. 

    15:45 Ryleigh Kelley 

    Like you said, that’s kind of hard to find these opportunities for Native creatives. Do digital platforms like social media, the rise of all these technological advancements, do you feel that it might complement young Native artists, or does it complicate their efforts, especially as they’re trying to find more opportunities? 

    16:15 Joshua Shumak 

    I feel like it is adjacent. I wouldn’t say it complements, but I would say it’s adjacent. I feel like it is a way to get them out there to people who do value folk art and the art that is being created, but I do think there is still sometimes that issue when it comes to Native Americans breaking into the contemporary greater art field. It’s very exclusive for Native art for a long time. Because the art sells, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes it’s hard for a young Native creative to be celebrated outside of the niche Native American or folk art-specific community.  

    17:00 Ryleigh Kelley 

    You said you talk about poetry, let’s discuss! Feel free to add it, whatever it is about that. Yeah, I can’t believe we missed that. 

    17:11 Joshua Shumak 

    Well, one of the things that I think I was very blessed to have been able to go through is the Berkeley County arts program. I started out getting into the lottery to be able to go to Howe Hall Ames Elementary School for the Arts. Then I went to Marrington Middle their art program, and then I was able to go into the Goose Creek High School art program, where I really started to go into the creative writing field, specifically poetry, and I’ve been able to publish quite a few poems since my high school years. 

     And a lot of it goes around some of that theme of identity, culture, and even into that, what Native communities today are facing, which includes a lot of land loss, cultural loss, trying to reclaim culture and some of the struggles and victories that we face every day. 

    18:04 Ryleigh Kelley 

    Is there any particular style or creative style of poetry that you like? 

    18:11 Joshua Shumak 

    I usually do free verse spoken word, only because my creative writing teacher really hated rhyming poetry. He wanted us to do very different things, sometimes avant-garde poetry, which is all about doing unique poetry writing styles. Sometimes you basically speak around a poem instead of saying the poem. Sometimes it’s the words that are missing in the poem. Things along that line. 

    18:40 Ryleigh Kelley 

    I love to hear that. Very cool to hear about your background in that as well. You have a creative writing component and a hands-on craft component. I’m curious on how all of those flow together in your creative process. Is there one that you feel really speaks to you more? Do they all have some sort of personal component? 

    I do digital work as well as creative work, and those are all in different conversations with each other. I’m curious for you, how do those kinds of mediums of art and your creative practice talk to each other? 

    19:31 Joshua Shumak 

    Of course, poetry, I think, is the only one that actually talks. 

    I think that that one is one that you can go into a lot more different directions with what you are actually saying. I feel like that almost goes hand-in-hand with beadwork. I know that that usually in itself, is like painting a picture, but without words. What am I trying to express?  

    Some of the beadwork I’ve done has been more nature-based. It has more symbolism, especially when you’re talking about making regalia, or sometimes the tribal symbols, putting that together, what that means to the community or myself. And I feel like it’s almost the opposite with pottery. I feel like pottery is almost more of a resilient, defying art form. 

    One of the things I try to incorporate in my pottery is in my slip, which is what we use to bind the different coils of clay together for hand building, I try to include some soil from either the Charleston Peninsula or Edisto Beach State Park, which is our first contact location. And that way, in each of my pieces that I’m creating, there’s a little bit of our history in it.  

    We are basically using the Earth, putting back into the Earth, creating things from nothing. I almost feel like art in itself is just such a big gift. From the creator to be able to create things ourselves. 

    21:01 Ryleigh Kelley  

    I really love to hear how, especially with pottery and the bead making. I love to hear about resilience. I think it’s interesting through something like that it speaks to that, whereas poetry maybe could be more literal, and like, “I’m literally telling you what it is.” 

    21:30 Joshua Shumak 

    I would even say that through poetry and beadwork, those two pieces of art, saying something and painting a picture. I would say pottery is the opposite. Pottery, it tells you what it wants to be and it tells you what it doesn’t want to be. 

    21:47 Ryleigh Kelley 

    Yeah. Alright, well, I love how we went on that little tangent. Thank you for sharing about your poetry background as well. I really appreciate that. 

    Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us today. I really appreciate it. 

    22:03 Joshua Shumak 

    Will do. Thank you very much. Hope you have a good rest of your day. 

  • Jael B. Gadsen

    Jael B. Gadsen

    Interview

    Transcript

    00:00 Ryleigh Kelley 

    Hello, my name is Ryleigh, and today we are talking with Jael B. Gadsen, a professional creative working from and within South Carolina. As we get started, can you tell us your current career and where you are from? 

    00:13 Jael B Gadsen 

    Sure! I’m an entertainer, which means I am a singer, songwriter, and actor. I’m from Charleston, South Carolina. 

    00:23 Ryleigh Kelley 

    Very nice. Okay, so before we go into the details of your profession, we have this brief little section of the interview. It’s called “One Career, Sixty Seconds”, where you describe your job in 60 seconds or less. It’s similar to an elevator pitch. 

    00:40 Jael B Gadsen 

    Okay. 

    00:41 Ryleigh Kelley  

    Well, let me get the timer started. Alright, are you ready? 

    00:47 Jael B Gadsen 

    I’m ready. 

    00:48 Ryleigh Kelley 

    Alright, okay, you’re on the clock. 

    00:52 Jael B Gadsen 

    Alright!  I am a singer, songwriter, actress. I’m an entertainer. I’ve been doing it since I was twelve years old. I work professionally as a singer at theme parks. My current one is Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia. 

    I also do a lot of regional theater. Recently, I finished a show at the Springer Opera House in Georgia. I’ve worked at Universal Studios in Japan. I’m also a songwriter, so I write songs and record music. All of that I do consistently. 

    01:25 Ryleigh Kelley 

    Perfect. Yeah, you did that in thirty five seconds, so that was good. 

    01:29 Jael B Gadsen 

    Oh, wow, I could have kept going! 

    01:31 Ryleigh Kelley 

    Yeah, but we’ll obviously get more into it, but that was really good. That was really good in thirty five seconds.  

    As an entertainer, is there anything South Carolina or Charleston in particular, brings to your work? Does it have a unique influence on you compared to people in the same profession in different states? 

    01:54 Jael B Gadsen 

    I would say so because I did a lot of my training in Charleston, South Carolina, which is where I was born and raised. I grew up doing shows, musical theater in high school, middle school, and in the community. There was always a show. I did some lessons at the Dock Street theater in Charleston, and so I got to get some theater training there. I also was a part of the modeling school, Millie Lewis of Charleston. 

    I also currently perform in Charleston. I have a band and we do a lot of gigs around Charleston, because Charleston is popular for live music. We love our live music in Charleston. When I’m not at a theme park or doing a musical, I come home, and I get to do live music. So, it definitely has had a big influence on my career, and still now, today. It’s a big part of what I do. Yeah. 

    02:55 Ryleigh Kelley 

    Awesome! Was there a defining moment in your life which had an impact on your creative journey? I know you mentioned that you worked at Universal Studios in Japan, if you would like to touch more on that experience, because that’s really, interesting. Was there a particular project or something you produced which showcased your creativity in, like, a way it never had before? 

    03:22 Jael B Gadsen 

    Yeah, I’ll talk about Universal first. That was a big moment for me in my career, and I worked there for 7 years and it was just a great opportunity to go somewhere abroad, be a part of another culture and learn and perform, doing what I love. So that was one of my career highlights. 

    Another was, as I said, I write music and songs, and I won a songwriting contest called Lincoln Spotlight, and it was nationwide. My song won first place, and I got to open for the artist Common. He’s a rapper at the House of Blues in Chicago. 

    04:08 Ryleigh Kelley 

    Hmm. 

    04:09 Jael B Gadsen 

    Then won a grant some money for doing it, so I got a lot of exposure then too. So that was a good way to encourage me to keep going. 

    04:20 Ryleigh Kelley 

    Yeah, absolutely. Before entering your field, did you have any fears about becoming a creative professional, and what inspired you to continue beyond those fears? 

    04:33 Jael B Gadsen 

    Oh, yes. I had fears of being able to afford to continue doing it, because. 

    A lot of jobs pay differently, so sometimes you might just get a little, and sometimes you get paid a lot. I did have that fear of worrying if I would be able to survive as just purely an entertainer. 

    But I’ve learned that there’s so much that we can do that I learned along the way. The theaters, the amusement parks, cruise ships. Making music from writing and singing for other people. It’s definitely possible. 

     05:18 Ryleigh Kelley 

    Going into that, do you have any advice for young adults or students who have an interest in pursuing a similar career in the creative world, and are there any particular skills one should practice or have before entering the industry? 

    05:34 Jael B Gadsen 

    Yeah, I would say, especially for what I do. Just take the lessons when you can. I know it costs money. Even if you have a friend or someone that sings, make sure you can be a professional singer, get some lessons if you can. Even dancing, if you’re not a strong dancer, take some dance classes. You can be a mover. You don’t have to be the best dancer but just know a few steps that are common amongst shows. Acting. Get in an acting class, just step out of your comfort zone for the things that you don’t feel as confident in. 

    Just make sure you are trained across all areas, singing, dancing, acting, and participating in things so you can get the experience, even if it’s not a lot of money. Just being able to do it in front of people. Any experience really is good for you, for your personal development and your resume, and it’s always gonna just help you grow. 

    06:40 Ryleigh Kelley 

    Yeah, that’s really good advice, especially regarding experience, because I think that’s so valuable to a creative’s work, especially for the work that you do, especially with the multifaceted, talents that you have. Let’s see if I have any other questions. 

    I’m curious to hear about how you move between each roles. How you move fluidly between being a performer, vocal director, and teacher. How do you navigate those spaces, and how do they kind of interact or converse with your work as a whole? 

    07:27 Jael B Gadsen 

    Oh, that’s a good question. I try to plan out my year. 

    For instance, I’m at Busch Gardens, but they’ll usually give me a contract and say, can you do this amount of time? Which would be, for example, their summer season, fall season, and Christmas. That’s about 6 months of work there. They will ask me in advance, like, “okay, can you music direct this, or vocal direct this?” I already know that I’m gonna do that. I commit to them for that amount of time, and then once that time is over, I’m kind of free to go to other places.  

    I kind of do it like that. I try to plan ahead what I’m gonna do, and then that way I can navigate and move to do different things. Right now, just another example, I just finished a show in Columbus, Georgia for a month. I was doing a play, but now I have this month more flexible, so I’m home in Charleston, and I am able to do more creative things, like my songwriting and some gigs. So, I just try to really plan it out and stick to it, and it works out. 

    08:40 Ryleigh Kelley  

    Yes, yeah, the importance of time management right there, especially, moving in between each role and season. Well, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me today.  

    08:54 Jael B Gadsen 

    Yeah, it was nice meeting you. It’s Riley? 

    08:57 Ryleigh Kelley 

    Yes, yes. 

    08:58 Jael B Gadsen 

    Okay, nice meeting you, Riley. 

    09:00 Ryleigh Kelley 

    Nice meeting you!  Okay. Have a good day! 

    09:03 Jael B Gadsen 

    Okay, you too. Bye! 

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  • C. Michelle Bryant Griffin

    C. Michelle Bryant Griffin

    “Be your unique self, and let the world catch up.” 

    Quick Facts

    Level of Education: A.C. Flora High School (Columbia); attended 27 schools across 12 years; some college 

    Years of Experience: 40+ Years

    About

    C. Michelle Bryant Griffin is an artist, author, and entrepreneur based in the Low Country of South Carolina who has spent more than four decades creating, building, and supporting others in doing the same. Her work today centers on helping dreamers, doers, and entrepreneurs bring their visions to life, transforming ideas into brands that shine and make their mark on the world.  

    Her path into photography began during a divorce in her late fifties, born out of vulnerability and a desire to rebuild. As she photographed other women navigating similar turning points, she found herself collecting their remarkable, under-sung stories which deserved a wider audience. That impulse became a magazine with a global readership for over a decade, dedicated to showcasing the overlooked and the underestimated. When the pandemic reduced print circulation, she pivoted to a fully online practice. She launched Fabulous Business Solutions, a practice that blends strategy, design, and hands-on support for writers, artists, and entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey.  

    She expresses her love for her work, saying that “everything I do is done with 100% heart and passion, as if it were my own personal project.”  

    Michelle describes her abundance of talent as both a blessing and a challenge; the question of how much to use, and in which direction, is one she holds lightly. But the answer she keeps returning to is love. Everything she does, she does because she genuinely loves it. And for her, that has always been enough.  

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  • Winnifred Tataw

    Winnifred Tataw

    “Nurture your passion with persistence. Embrace the power of your unique voice, and remember that every story you tell is a bridge that unites us all. When we foster love and creativity, we create a world that thrives on connection and resilience. The world needs your art!” 

    Quick Facts

    Education: College of Charleston 

    Years of Experience: 15 Years of Experience

    About

    Winnifred Tataw is an author, artist, and book publisher based in the Low Country of South Carolina whose work is rooted in the belief that stories have the power to connect, inspire, and celebrate the full spectrum of human experience. As graduate of the College of Charleston with a background in Studio Art and Writing, she has spent fifteen years crafting work that blends personal narratives with universal truths, creating as she describes, “an inviting tapestry where every reader finds a piece of themselves.” 

    Her love for art and storytelling grew side by side from childhood, shaped by the joy of listening to her parents’ stories and the richness of her heritage. The two passions are so intertwined that she cannot say which came first, but both have always been essential. Remarkably, Winnifred began publishing her novels during her first year of college, setting an early tone for a creative life defined by courage and momentum. She notes that she aims to, “create stories and art that connect and inspire action while celebrating the beauty of the human journey.” 

    For emerging creatives, her message is both generous and clear: the world needs your art. Foster your love of craft with persistence, trust the distinctiveness of your voice, and understand that every story you tell is a bridge, one that unites people, builds resilience, and reminds us of our shared humanity.