From the HE[ART] of Clotilda ('22)

This 12-week process has taught me the power in co-creating with those whose intentions are aligned with your own. We CAN do a lot on our own, this is very true, but we can do a WHOLE lot more with others at our side. And not only does it get more done faster, but it makes the process 100x more fun.

Of course I love creating by myself. Being in my own company and letting myself go down whatever rabbit holes my heart desires is liberating. But I realized I can access that same sort of freedom alongside others in a way that also opens up doors for even more possibility than if I was alone. HE[ART]LAND is made up of so many incredible artists, each of whom do one million and five different things. When we create together - there isn’t a single puzzle we ever have to leave behind or give up on. The missing pieces are always found. I find that sometimes when I’m creating alone, I have to walk away from something for a bit until I find the right words. In this collaborative environment, any answer that I can’t find - someone else always has. It creates a sort of momentum among us that is not only amazing for our confidence, but is also incredibly unifying.

I only met the HE[ART]LAND Fellows a month and a half ago, and already each and every one of them feels like family to me. I think we work so well together because we are each so different in experiences, yet similar in goals. We are a multidimensional group. And that is necessary not just for creating art, but for creating change. Our goal is to connect the world with our message, our hearts, and why we’re doing what we are doing. In order to do that, we really do need all hands on deck. All hearts on deck. It sounds corny but it’s true. The more people we can connect with on an emotional level, the more support and help we will get in creating the change we want to see.