Episode 22: Artivism in Action with Y?

We are joined today by an incredibly wise and humble guest who is an artivist (art + activist). He shares with us the stories of his passion for music and his artivist journey. His name is Y? 

Y?’s journey was anything but conventional, being born in a family fleeing their home country of Guyana to the US due to unrest, and having humble beginnings, his passion for art and music was always apparent, but could not be nurtured until he was in his 20s. 

Although Y? had dreams to go to school for art and music, these dreams never came to fruition, but he still managed to find his way to his passion and is now a successful artist with a wide array of talents. Y?’s natural ability to connect and hold space is a lost art in and of itself, but he carries this deep love for himself and others so gracefully, it can be felt through this episode. 

Tune in to hear some of the most inspirational content yet, and a beautiful story of Y?’s last moments with dear friend Robert Enamorado. This is a special episode you do not want to miss!

Topics discussed in this episode:

• The story behind Y?’s name
• What is artivism?
• Y?’s experience with artivism
• Y?’s education journey
• A piece of art that has impacted Y?’s life
• The importance of community for artists
• How Y? created connection during Roberto Enamorado memorial event
• The story of Y?’s last moments with Roberto Enamorado
• How Y? stays present and positive with all the pain and suffering in the world
• Importance of honing in your purpose and perspective
• Why trying to convince others of your perspective is not beneficial
• How to cultivate self love and stay in the community
• Rediscovering creative purpose in the midst of a tragedy
• The difference between expressing perspective vs convincing

CW: Please note that at 36:00-50:00 in we reference suicide as the friend that we speak about took his own life. Tap out and forward if you need to take care of yourself during that portion of the episode.   

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is now active across the United States by dialing 988– it is available 24/7 to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Visit https://988lifeline.org/ for more info.

Connect with Y? by heading to Why Not Show Love here. You can also catch him on social media via Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. You can also shoot him an email here!To learn more about Y?’s company Creative Expressions, visit his other website here.

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