Location: PeeDee and Grand Strand

  • Steph Sneed

    Steph Sneed

    Interview

    Transcript

    Sarah Jane Thomas  00:01

    Hello, my name is Sarah Jane Thomas, and today we are talking with Steph Sneed, 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?

    Steph Sneed  00:12

    Sure. Originally, I am from West Virginia, but I have moved around a lot in my life, and I ended up in South Carolina, about eight years ago, and my job is called Imagine Academy. It’s an after-school program for kids age six to 12, and I also do like a lot of workshops, and I work with different organizations within our community.

    Sarah Jane Thomas  00:40

    Perfect. Before we go into detail of your profession, we have a brief section of the interview called One Career 60 Seconds, where you describe your job in 60 seconds or less, similar to an elevator pitch. We’re ready whenever you are.

    Steph Sneed  00:55

    Okay, so my job is basically creating programming for kids, but I also I’m like a one-woman show here. I don’t have any employees or anything. I keep my program very small. I operate out of my house, so I have six students a day. And let’s see what else. I also have a big heart for just kids and youth who don’t get the opportunity to create on a regular basis, and so I actually get to partner with a foster. It’s like a an organization who work with teens in foster care. So I work a lot with that organization, creating classes and opportunities for them to express themselves. And I also work a lot with an occupational therapist nonprofit in our area, who allows me to work with kids on the spectrum and have other disabilities.

    Sarah Jane Thomas  01:48

    That was perfect. What would you consider your job title?

    Steph Sneed  01:53

    I am the director, but I’m also like the teacher. But I would say I’m like the creative director. A lot of the program, a lot of the projects that we do, I like push the kids to create like individual, like themes, and so I’m often like directing them individually based off their ideas.

    Sarah Jane Thomas  02:20

    So, as a director, is there anything in South Carolina in particular that you bring to your work?

    Steph Sneed  02:28

    Like that maybe sets me apart. So, I think the thing that sets my work apart is that I work kind of so with such a small group. I have done workshops with like the school with different school districts, and I’ve noticed in like based off of feedback from the other teachers, the projects that I have in mind are unique because in school settings they would not have the capacity to attempt them, and so because it requires so much like personalized help and support. So I think that’s kind of that and the that I do two part classes. I do like a guided part where we work on like something technical, and then yeah, we do the project where they’re like really being pushed to express themselves personally, based off their interest in, and it’s it’s amazing because it really asks a lot of them to figure out like what do they like, what are they interested in, what inspires them, and that’s a pretty big question for a child.

    Sarah Jane Thomas  03:40

    Do you think it gives you a sense of familiarity being in the area?

    Steph Sneed  03:45

    I don’t know. I don’t know what you mean.

    Sarah Jane Thomas  03:47

    Like with the kids, do you think? Like, do you work with the same kids consistently? Do you work with the same school consistently? Does it kind of give you the ability to get familiar with everything?

    Steph Sneed  04:00

    Yeah. Well, I live in a small town, so I definitely see kids in the community on repeat. I’m really fortunate with the organization, the like teens in foster care organization, that I get to work with their group home. And though that does have turnover, it’s been really amazing. I actually the school district pays me to work with them. They have like a special grant, and so I get to go once a week and work with the group home, and it really, really helps me connect with them by getting to work with them regularly. And they really need people to take the time to get to know them, and I’ve seen a lot of growth in engagement with them because of that consistency.

    Sarah Jane Thomas  04:50

    That’s beautiful. Do you think that there was a defining moment in your life that had an impact on your creative journey?

    Steph Sneed  04:58

    Ooh, good question. Well, for this career, yes. So I actually was a professional ballet dancer before this, and so I’ve I say that I’ve worked in the arts like my whole like professional career, but I I have had kind of like a switch from like the dance to visual arts, and the way that happened was really organically. I was, I kind of had retired from dance, but I was actually babysitting a family in our area, and the kids moved away, and I realized that I really didn’t want to, and when I was babysitting them, all we did was art together, and I I realized when they moved away, or as I was preparing to like say goodbye to them, that I didn’t want to stop working with kids in this way. They just filled this like hole in my heart, and like also they were wonderful collaborators. So that was the moment. Like that was a big moment in my career where I was like, “Okay, I guess I’m gonna try this out. And crazy enough, it worked.

    Sarah Jane Thomas  06:16

    So, kind of along the same lines, before entering your field, did you have any fears about that?

    Steph Sneed  06:23

    Yeah, of course. I mean, I didn’t know if my idea would work. I and also because I hadn’t really trained all my training. It was in the arts. It was in the arts, and I went to like a boarding school for ballet, and like I’ve like and I went to the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance and like I have lived and worked in the arts, but I hadn’t really technically been in the trained in like the visual art field. But I, all my dance education had taught me how to basically pay attention to what my ideas are and learn how to like execute those ideas, and so that really translated into like this whole thing, and give me the confidence to try it, even though I hadn’t gone to like art school necessarily like visual art school, but as I’ve done all this work, I’ve also learned and gained a lot more confidence in my visual art skills, of course, and I’m always hungry to learn more. So yeah, I think those were some fears, but I wasn’t I wasn’t that afraid because I knew, like, from the experience that I had with the kids, that it was fun. Like, whatever we tried together, we were all learning, and it was fun. And so, I was like, if anyone is willing to take a chance on me, I think this is going to be fun for everybody who tries it, and I’ll just be committed to keep learning and getting better, and paying attention to how kids learn. And so, does that answer the question?

    Sarah Jane Thomas  08:09

    Yeah, perfectly. Okay. I was going to ask what inspired you to move beyond those fears, but you kind of encompassed the whole thing for me. Okay.

    Steph Sneed  08:16

    Sorry.

    Sarah Jane Thomas  08:17

    No. Please don’t apologize. This is wonderful. Do you have any advice for young adults or students interested in pursuing a similar career path?

    Steph Sneed  08:28

    I guess so. You have well, you have to be smart, especially like financially. You have to play the game of like how. You really do have to pay attention to. You can’t just go on like your love of art. Like you have to become a business person as well, and so I’ve learned that the best way that I can get like gigs and stuff is to package it nicely, like come up with how it’s going, come up with the plan for how it’s going to benefit the person you’re working with, and like explain that in a concise and clear way, and then just be committed to what you’re doing. Like do a good job with what you’re offering. Like pay attention and be a good communicator. Like those are all like really key elements. But also just like when you get started, you just have to be a little bit brave and show up and ask people if they’re interested in sharing an experience like this with you. Like one of the gigs that I got for a while was at a assisted living place, and what I did was I just showed up with I made this like pumpkin cottage. Like I bought like a little pumpkin from Target, and I like made all these like. Pieces for it that I glued onto it that made it look like a little cottage. I made it out of polymer clay and painted it, and I brought the pumpkin in, and I was like, “Hey, would you guys like it if I like did a class with you and I could teach you guys how to make this pumpkin, like a pumpkin cottage? And they were like, “That is amazing. Yes, and actually, that whole class ended up falling through that time. But later, they reached out to me, and they invited me to come later. And I worked with them for almost a year. And just similarly, like with the organization with the foster teens is called the Trent Hill Center, and I had I think I asked them if they wanted to do the pumpkin cottages as well, and they say yes. So so yeah, I think just being willing to like put yourself out there a little bit. Be kind. Don’t burn bridges, especially if you’re in the community of South Carolina. It’s kind of you know it’s a very small town vibe. Like I think across the state, and so I guess that yeah. I think that’s how I answer that question.

    Sarah Jane Thomas  11:22

    Well, aside from knowing how to build pumpkin cottages, are there any other particular skills one should practice before entering your career path or industry?

    Steph Sneed  11:33

    Well, yeah. I mean, I think if you’re wanting to be like an art teacher or like a community Art teacher, you do also need to, like I said, it kind of goes back to like the business, the business mindset. You have to like price things out, and you have to figure out how to make it affordable for your customers. Also, you have to know who your customers are, and I think something that drives me crazy is when people just consider art a business because it’s like you have to love it, like you have to believe in it, and then that helps you make your business decisions, like have an identity, and like your passion for it becomes your identity, and then you can make your decisions from, from like why you care about what you care about. Like for instance, like my son is autistic, and that’s why I like love to work with the occupational therapist nonprofit because I’m kind of uniquely I’m not like a professional therapist, but the experience that I have with my son makes me a little bit more uniquely qualified to at least facilitate classes where kids with who need like additional support, like that’s like that’s a great area for me to explore. And so, like paying attention to what you care about, what makes you mad, like what upsets you, and creating solutions like is really important because if you go through it identity less and you’re just copying things that you’re seeing like other art groups doing, it’s not going to be as interesting, and they’re going to like they don’t really have a reason to pick you over anybody else to select you to be the person who’s going to hold or host or facilitate. So, those are some of my thoughts on that. Yeah.

    Sarah Jane Thomas  13:45

    Well, I want to thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me today. Would you be open to talking to our team again?

    Steph Sneed  13:52

    Sure. Yeah.

    Sarah Jane Thomas  13:54

    Perfect. We will send you the transcript from this interview. Do you have any of those questions you were wondering about at the beginning of this.

    Steph Sneed  14:02

    So I guess I guess I’m curious, like who I looked at the website a little bit, but like who does this reach?

    Sarah Jane Thomas  14:11

    A big part is students like me. I go to Coastal Carolina, and so obviously me working on the project, I’m aware of it. My boss Alli will go into different classes and speak to different students about it. We also have a big Gullah Geechee presence on campus, and so any opportunity, like we have days for it, and so any opportunity to do some kind of outreach, we kind of talk about this. It’s a big thing for students still trying to figure out like where we are in the world and like what we can do with our passions, and so like especially you talking about formally being a ballerina and now coming into this world, like I think it’s a big pathfinder, I guess, for students like me. So that’s kind of what it’s intended for, but it’s also intended for people in the community to understand their other community members. So that’s kind of what this specific project is.

    Steph Sneed  15:12

    Oh, that’s really cool. That’s cool.

    Sarah Jane Thomas  15:14

    Yeah, I send it like my grandmother looks at it and like sees all the different peoples, and I think too it helps. Like it can be used as a tool for business as well, because we have a lot of artistic creators. We have a lot of film directors. We have theater producers. We have game makers. So it’s kind of just like it could be used as a little directory as well.

    Steph Sneed  15:39

    Oh, okay. Yeah, I like that.

    Sarah Jane Thomas  15:41

    It kind of does a lot of things, reaches a lot of people.

    Steph Sneed  15:45

    That’s great. I love that.

    Sarah Jane Thomas  15:47

    Yeah. So we’ll get the interview transcript sent off to you if you want anything edited or cut. Feel free to tell us. And if you have any questions, you can always reach out to that email.

    Steph Sneed  15:59

    Okay.

    Sarah Jane Thomas  15:59

     So thank you so much.

    Steph Sneed  16:01

    Thank you too. Great questions.

    Sarah Jane Thomas  16:02

    Thank you. Have a wonderful rest of your day.

    Steph Sneed  16:05

    You too. Bye.

  • Carol Black-Lemon

    Carol Black-Lemon

    Interview

    Transcript

    Carol Black-Lemon 

    Sarah Jane Thomas  00:00 

    Hello, my name is Sarah Jane Thomas, and today we are talking with Carol Black-Lemon, a professional creative working from and within South Carolina. So, as we get started, can you tell us your current career and where you’re from? 

    Carol Black-Lemon  00:12 

    Sure. I’m originally from New Jersey, born in Newark, raised in Brooklyn, and my husband and I retired recently and moved to Florence, South Carolina. 

    Sarah Jane Thomas  00:24 

    Wonderful. Before we go into details of your profession, we have a brief section of the interview called “One Career, Sixty Seconds” where you describe your job in sixty seconds or less, similar to an elevator pitch. And we can start whenever you’re ready. 

    Carol Black-Lemon  00:38 

    Okay. So I consider myself a solopreneur, and that I do pretty much everything on my own. I’ve always been that type of person where I multitask. But four years ago, almost four years ago, I retired, and from my job as a marketing administrator for a law firm. I was there for twenty years, and I built a lot of experiences working on web design and marketing.  

    So now I do that for myself, and my business is Black-Lemon Art, aka Carol Black-Lemon Art, and I am a multidisciplinary artist, where my mainstay is creating artwork and storytelling through my art, and that’s my passion. Always been, always will be, and now I represent a new generation of artists who are at a certain age point, and for me, I’m still becoming, and it’s me letting younger folks know that even when you get a certain age, it doesn’t end. It’s where your passion lies. Just keep going with it, and that’s what life is all about. 

    Sarah Jane Thomas  02:08 

    I love the term solopreneur. I think that’s so fun and exciting. That was perfect. So, what would you consider your official job title? 

    Carol Black-Lemon  02:20 

    Creator. I’m a creator. I just feel very, very blessed to be creating whatever, whatever comes to mind. But painter, for sure, storyteller through my art. I love doing web design. They make it pretty easy today, so I don’t have to get into coding. But I can fiddle around with that as well. And what was the question?  

    Sarah Jane Thomas  02:55 

    I was just wondering what you would consider your professional job title, but creator just sums it all up. So, as a creative creator, is there anything in South Carolina that you feel you bring into your work, as opposed to people who may not live in South Carolina? 

    Carol Black-Lemon  03:17 

    Something that I bring into my work…I would say communicating with other like-minded or other folks that that want to tap into their creativity. I’m all about that. It’s like folks that I know work on nine-to-five jobs and under fluorescent lighting and the watchful eye; they don’t have freedom. They may be in a creative job, which is wonderful, but for a lot of people, they have their jobs that don’t really give them an opportunity to be creative. You have to follow the pattern and the hierarchy and so forth. But tapping into your creativity allows you to find your voice, allows you to be your authentic self. So, I like to help people to do that, and I founded a group called Creative Connection here in Florence, and it was a call out to anyone who wants to tap into that and talk about their creative process. 

    Sarah Jane Thomas  04:33 

    That’s beautiful. Do you think that there was a defining moment in your life that really had an impact on your creative journey? 

    Carol Black-Lemon  04:43 

    A defining moment in my life on my creative journey….it’s a good question. Defining moment….I think I had many defining moments, and which was just letting me know that I can control my creative voice, so I had to find time for that. When I had a nine-to-five and raising a family, it wasn’t just about me. It was about what I have to give to my job, what I have to give to my family. But at some point, I’m like, well, what about me? Who am I? And I tapped into that little girl that was just curious about everything, and so that little girl still lives in me, and I keep reminding myself who she was. And now, I was proud of her, and she would be proud of me that I’m still doing that. 

    Sarah Jane Thomas  05:45 

    You mentioned your own initiative, your own little startup. Do you think that there was a particular project that you worked on that allowed you to express that creativity in a way that hadn’t really been something that you’ve done before? 

    Carol Black-Lemon  06:03 

    I think that might be. There was a point where I was designing my own website, and I went with the DIY. I’m like, okay, I’m that type of person. I’m gonna figure it out, and I really enjoyed it. I had fun with it, and my website was great. And then I thought, “I can do this for other people,” so I looked at some other folks’ websites, some friends, or just people that I knew, and I’m like, “Would you like me to improve your website?” And I did like three of them for free. I’m like, “let me do this so that I can put it on my portfolio,” and that led to a client. So, I said after six months, I’m like, “okay, I’ll help you to navigate it.” Ultimately, and this is going back maybe twenty years now, but that led to fifteen website clients, and for me, that’s why I say I’m a solopreneur. I didn’t have anyone helping me, and by the way, I was doing a nine-to-five job. 

    Sarah Jane Thomas  07:16 

    So, you mentioned this nine-to-five job. So, before you stepped away from that and became a creative strictly in your professional life, did you have any fears about that? 

    Carol Black-Lemon  07:34 

    Yeah, absolutely. I had to learn about just the business setup and taxes, all the accountability what goes with being a legitimate business and calling yourself a business. So, I had to learn all that, and I was always afraid if I was doing that correctly. My fears of starting up is just learning how to prioritize and not getting ahead of myself, and because then I became responsible for other people, and then I learned that people were counting on me. I’ll never forget a call on Easter Sunday because there was something that they wanted on their website, and I was like, “Wait a minute, it’s Easter. I didn’t sign up for that.” But that was when I understood that the criteria that I had to set forth and letting folks know this is a business, and you have to go by these terms and so that was a real learning experience for me to set those guidelines. 

    Sarah Jane Thomas  09:00 

    Was there anything in particular that helped you move beyond these fears? 

    Carol Black-Lemon  09:07 

    Anything in particular that helped me move beyond these fears….what got me moving beyond the fears was this understanding the complexity of ownership and accountability, and that if I were to call myself the boss lady, that I needed to step up and take better notes and just be better at what I was doing, what I was being called to do. So it was that I need to step up. That was like pivoting to the next level of being a professional. 

    Sarah Jane Thomas  09:59 

    Do you have any advice for young adults or students who have an interest in becoming a creative professional and maybe starting up their own business, as you have? 

    Carol Black-Lemon  10:08 

    Yeah, I would say tap into what’s already out there. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. The information is at our fingertips now. I mean between Google and ChatGPT and Claude, it’s all there. Like, what do I do? They can even build your own website. You know, push the button. There’s your website already. But I’m a hands-on kind of person, and I always want to make sure that if I do use AI to help me, which why not, it’s there. Make sure that it’s at least 80% you and maybe 20% AI, if that makes sense. Yeah, it’s a great tool and it really helps to get things done. But don’t let AI do more of your work than you, and then talking to seasoned professionals and talking to your peers, especially those that are transparent, that are willing to share.  

    There are some folks that they’re not maybe willing to tell you what they use. I’m like, well, those aren’t your people. If I find something that’s working for me, I’m going to tell my friends, “look, don’t waste your time there. This is a better tool.” But talking to seasoned professionals who are doing it, who will give you the real lowdown in terms of what you need? Make good use of your resources. 

    Sarah Jane Thomas  11:50 

    So, you mentioned utilizing AI and utilizing the internet and just like all the information that’s out there now. Do you think that there are any particular skills, either within that or apart from that, that one should practice before trying the same things? 

    Carol Black-Lemon  12:12 

    Right, before trying the same things for sure, and that is having just being more hands-on with your own work in your own occupation, meaning taking notes. Every thought that comes into your mind, some of them are good, and some you need to trash. So, prioritizing your vision for yourself, like what do you need to do right now? And that’s doing your homework. So, and if you’re a student, that’s like the greatest place to be tapping into all the resources available to you. Because at a certain point, those resources and those mentors may go away.For me, it’s organization for sure.  

    Just you know, and there’s a lot of folks [who have it]. I don’t like the term ADHD. A lot of people are like, “I have ADHD.” It’s like if you got a lot going on in your head, there’s a lot of attention deficit because you’re managing so many different things that you are that you have to be accountable for. You’re a student, but you may have a part-time job, and you may have other responsibilities. So, time management is really key. And for someone like me, who’s a multitasker, which I’ve had to tone down. I’m at a certain age right now, and I can’t remember everything, but my mind is still going and going. I wake up with thoughts and ideas, and I don’t want to lose track of it. So having a wonderful calendar, I have this great, beautiful calendar that I use that may even have two years versus an annual calendar and files that I can reference. Organization is definitely key. 

    Sarah Jane Thomas  14:16 

    Well, I want to thank you so much for just sharing your story and your experience and your advice and I really–listening to you talk is it just fills me with happiness for some reason. You have such a way of expressing yourself in a way that’s very genuine, and I really loved it. 

    Carol Black-Lemon  14:36 

    Thank you. I appreciate that. 

  • Ismael Valentin

    Ismael Valentin

    Interview

    Transcript

    00:00 Victoria Bartolotto 

    Hello everybody! My name is Victoria, and we are talking with Ismael Valentin, a professional creative working within and from South Carolina. As we get started, can you tell us a little bit about your current career and where you’re from?  

    00:16 Ismael Valentin 

    Sure. So, my heritage is from Puerto Rico. Tyrannal Roots. That’s native to Puerto Rico. Born and raised in Farmingham, Massachusetts. And, went to school in, Chicopee and Springfield, Massachusetts. 

    What would you like me to get into? How I got into my art?  

    00:52 Victoria Bartolotto 

    Before we do that, can you talk a little bit about where in South Carolina that you’re from?  

    01:00 Ismael Valentin 

    Sure, we’re at the Wild Wings plantation and golf course in South Carolina.  

    01:09 Victoria Bartolotto 

    Okay. Before we go into the nitty-gritty details of your profession, we have the “One Career Sixty Seconds” portion of our interview, where you give an elevator style pitch. If you’re ready to go, I can set a timer, and we can start.  

    Okay. Alright. Ready? Set. Go.  

    01:36 Ismael Valentin 

    Basically, I went to a store, and they asked me to, sign up for a raffle. I must have been eight years old.  They turned around, and I said “sure.” So, I signed up for the raffle. They called me a week later, saying I won. They gave me an easel with all art products and whatnot.  

    I just had it lying in the corner of my room, not knowing what to do with it. My cousin comes over a week later, and he’s like, “Oh, you know how to draw? You’ve been drawing? Oh, I’m a better drawer than you.” I said, “Word? Let’s go.” Ever since then, I’ve been trying to find the best outlet to express myself.  

    02:29 Victoria Bartolotto 

    What kind of mediums do you work with?  

    02:34 Ismael Valentin 

    Acrylic paintings. I do glass blowing, and I do bronze work. It’s called the Lost Work of Wax.  I sculpt in wax, and then I cast the bronze. I also work in stone. I sculpt stone.  

    I do a little bit of welding. I’m no professional at welding, but I can at least weld my form and then build up on it.  

    03:11 Victoria Bartolotto 

    Wow, that’s a lot of different things! Jack of all trades.  

    03:14 Ismael Valentin 

    Yeah. Yeah, I have touched on a lot, a lot of things, trying to find the best way to express myself and my vision as an artist.  

    03:27 Victoria Bartolotto  

    Yeah, for sure. With being located in South Carolina, is there anything in particular that the state or your particular neighborhood or region brings to your creative work? Does anything about South Carolina have an influence on you?  

    03:42 Ismael Valentin 

    Yeah, so there’s something called the American College. They have a course there where they do a lot of stonework. I find that to be very attractive, and what got me out here to begin with. 

    04:04 Victoria Bartolotto 

    Was there a defining moment in your creative career that had an impact on your journey? I know from the form that you filled out, you mentioned that you had an artist residency in Italy. Was there anything particularly, maybe in Italy or in the United States, that kind of have an impact on you?  

    04:24 Ismael Valentin  

    Oh yeah. So, Italy is the reason why I got into stonework. I went out there and did a residency. I did a marble ram’s head. I just found that to be the best way that I could express myself in art. That’s eventually what caused me to move out here. It was because the college out here that does all the stonework. So, I can continue working on that.  Unfortunately, where I live, my neighbors wouldn’t necessarily like me working on stone. 

    05:12 Victoria Bartolotto 

    I can imagine it is very loud.  

    05:14 Ismael Valentin 

    Yeah, it is. It can get there. So, it actually gives me a perfect workplace. To be able to have space to do my stuff.  

    05:25 Victoria Bartolotto 

    Is there a particular kind of stone or material that you prefer working with over others?  

    05:32 Ismael Valentin  

    Not that I have found. I like dabbling in all of it. One thing that I have found a caveat to that is marble. Marble is kind of like granite. It’s kind of a little bit harder to work with. It’s a lot harder to work with, actually. The soft stones are more my go-to. Just because I can get the form faster and it’s easier to work with. It’s not as hard.  

    06:16 Victoria Bartolotto 

    Yeah. Was there a particular project, maybe the Ram’s head that you mentioned before, is there a particular project that you have done that really showcased your creative abilities in a way that it never had before? Was there anything that really spoke to you and is a proud moment of your career?  

    06:38 Ismael Valentin 

    Yeah, so I did a bronze ballerina foot. I feel like that was really my standout moment where I was like, “Oh wow, I could actually seriously get into this.” I could also, how you say, have this as an actual career. I just got so many compliments from it. I got so many praises for it, and it was literally my first piece that I did for sculpting. Since then, I haven’t stopped my toes. I haven’t dropped my toes, I should say. 

    07:25 Victoria Bartolotto 

    Yeah. Before entering stonework and working with stone, did you have any fears about having that being your profession? Was there anything that might have held you back from pursuing it?  

    10:40 Ismael Valentin 

    Definitely. There’s that stigma where the artist is a starving artist. So, everyone was always pushing on me, saying, “Oh artists, you don’t really make any money off of it.” 

    I feel like once you find certain people that love your work, they kind of stick with you. They follow you. I actually found that to be a stigma that really shouldn’t be stuck to us artists.  

    11:19 Victoria Bartolotto 

    I recently graduated from Coastal. I got my degree in English because I want to be an author, and I’ve heard that so many times. when people say, “Oh, well, writers don’t make any money. Artists don’t make any money. Why don’t you pick something else?” But it’s what you love, and it’s your passion. It’s hard to just tell some people that, “no, I want to follow my passion.”  

     Do you have any advice for young adults or students who maybe want to get into stonework, about things that they should know, or any skills that they should practice before getting into it? 

    12:03 Ismael Valentin 

    If anything, you definitely want to know how to do anatomy. Depending on if you want to do human figures. If you wanted to go abstract, then I guess you don’t really need to. Just dive right in. Keep an open mind and keep an open eye. Sorry, keep an open mind. Yeah.  

     So, by going to Italy, I learned how the old-timers used to do it. By hand and chisel, and I definitely would not suggest anyone doing it that way. That is grueling at best. This is very tiring.  

    13:10 Victoria Bartolotto 

    Yeah, I can imagine.  

    13:13 Ismael Valentin 

    If you can definitely get an air hammer. Get some air tools, that definitely would make it easier on you.  The chisel, you are eventually going to have to work with the hammer and chisel, especially when you start getting into those fine details. Try to be open to all of it.  

  • Cat Wondergem

    “Don’t only make the time to find your voice in your particular medium.” 

    Quick Facts

    Education: High School/2-year Technical College  

    Years of Experience: 20 Years

    About

    A linocut visual artist, Cat Wondergem dives into the rough edges and sparkles of humanity, one stroke of watercolor at a time. Initially introduced to linocuts during her middle school years, she did not return to the medium until her late thirties, highlighting “the simplicity and mobility of the tools needed to create this vibrant art form.”  

    Her process involves four multifaceted parts: drawing, carving, ink, and printmaking, before she can finally dip her paintbrush into a watercolor palette. Using a linoleum block, Cat aims to capture life’s vibrant flow of adventure and authenticity.  

    She encourages aspiring artists to become deeply familiar with their skillsets. “Take the time to learn what your tools and various techniques can do,” she says. “Learn how they can level up your work.” 

  • Marlanda Dekine

    Marlanda Dekine

    “Take your time.” 

    Quick Facts

    Education: Graduate, Furman University, University of South Carolina, Converse University 

    Years of Experience: 20 years

    About

    Marlanda Dekine is a Listening Poet, lending herself to write, publish, and read aloud poems. As a child, Marlanda wrote poems to process difficult emotions, and while she attended Furman University, participated in her first poetry slam. She highlights poets like Saul Williams and Patricia Smith, crediting their readings as models for her own performances. 

    As a Listening Poet, Marlanda has opportunities to collaborate with artists across all mediums. She emphasizes the importance of creating as often as possible and practicing without external validation. Marlanda advocates for professional workshops with other writers in order to “stretch your ideas of what is possible,” and insists on only keeping the feedback “that makes your work better.” 

  • Quwana James

    “Continue to be creative in your field by not stopping. Keep writing and performing. That is what makes you a poet, storyteller, writer, and performer. Start by starting.” 

    Quick Facts

    Education: Graduate School

    Years of Experience: 10 Years

    About

    Quwana James started writing and never stopped. That is how she describes it, because simplicity is the point. Her poems are about everything, always from an adult perspective. Every poem and short story rhyme to attempt to make the best sense of the world around her. With a decade of experience, Quwana continues practicing her craft of adult poetry and storytelling. 

    Working as a licensed professional counselor and a poet, Quwana’s two lives are not often in conflict. Counseling adds to her writing a depth of attention and care, coming from spending her days listening with intention to people. She brings that same quality of presence to her craft. 

    She is currently working on her first poetry book, due out in the fall of 2026. It is the next step in a quiet and consistent process that she has been building, which reflects her belief that becoming a storyteller is simple: do not stop. Quwana emphasizes that waiting to feel ready or until everything is polished is a feeling that should be avoided. “Keep writing and performing,” she says. “That is what makes you a poet, storyteller, writer, and performer.” Start by starting and then keep going from there. 

  • Samyra Hunter

    “Don’t overthink the process. Start where you are, keep creating, and trust that your growth will come from showing up, not from waiting until everything feels perfect.” 

    Quick Facts

    Education: South Carolina State University, Graduate 

    Years of Experience: 2 Years

    About

    For Samyra Hunter, writing was a way of making sense of things as a child. It was how she transmitted the weight of everyday experiences somewhere it could breathe. Ever since then, she kept at it, stayed consistent, and over time became a practice that was more than a habit.  

    What sets her storytelling apart is where she starts. Rather than outlining a plot structure, Samyra begins with emotion. She seeks what her audience is currently feeling, which makes the experience personal and roots the process in honesty. She says, “I create meaningful, thought-provoking experiences through storytelling that connect deeply with people.”  
    While she is only two years into her professional writing life, Samyra carries the confidence of someone who has been a long-time storyteller. She describes herself as continuously growing, not just as a writer, but as a creative, and is intentional about expanding her work into new spaces to reach a wider audience. 

    Her message to anyone hesitating to start is simple: don’t overthink it. Start where you are. The growth multiplies by showing up, not from waiting for the perfect moment or the perfect version of yourself.

  • 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. 

  • Carol Black-Lemon

    Carol Black-Lemon

    “Avoid comparing yourself to others—learn from them instead.” 

    Quick Facts

    Level of Education: Undergrad/Associate 

    Years of Experience: 25 Years

    About

    Carol Black-Lemon is a multidisciplinary visual artist who creates expressive, story-driven work that explores heritage, identity, and human connection. She fosters creativity and community through the art and outreach of others, taking pride in her own creative freedom. Carol balances her own artistic exploration by serving her community through collaboration, exhibitions, and creating spaces for the nurturing and sharing of creativity.  

    Carol prides herself on embracing challenges and committing to her art. From an early age, she had been drawn to art as an outlet to express herself and make sense of the world around her. Carol says she “didn’t wait for a seat at the table” and made her own, choosing instead to create, exhibit, and engage in art her own terms. At sixty-nine years old, Carol views her life as a powerful continuation and wants to set an example by living life creatively. 

  • Rachel White

    Rachel White

    “Don’t be afraid to pursue your dreams!” 

    Quick Facts

    Education: Coastal Carolina University Undergraduate degree 

    Years of Experience: 16 Years

    About

    Rachel White is a designer, writer, publisher, and storyteller who provides affordable marketing and administrative solutions to businesses through social media, graphic design, and copywriting. She is also a visual artist and photographer, managing her business at her local farmer’s market. For Rachel, “finding work in a creative field where you enjoy what you do is the ultimate fulfillment!” 

    Throughout her life, Rachel had always been an artist and a writer, from creating paintings as a toddler to writing stories in second grade. Within her career, she has turned her love of art and creative writing into a skill she has utilized in her professional life. Rachel recognizes the importance of everyone’s differences and emphasizes the importance of finding what makes you unique.