(Meaningful) mentorship involves a level of trust shared amongst individuals. However, societal -isms have skewed the definition to reflect a sharing of knowledge where “powerful” individuals are given the right to cultivate others with their ideology. The altered state has truth but the authentic meaning of mentorship lies heavily on intent. A significant difference occurs between distributing knowledge with those asking for aid compared to unsolicited instruction to others on how to operate in life, just because the assumption is made that one knows better or enacts unequal dynamics due to their stake in power. For example, youth experience the latter more frequently as their narrative holds the assumption of powerlessness. A typical childhood is built upon following everything you are told. From one's guardians to the media, youth are inundated with messages that can deconstruct their sense of power. Here the culprit, adultism. However, as mentioned previously, our societal -isms construct systems that enforce toxic relationships, especially cultures embracing the frameworks of capitalism where self-centered behavior is admired over collective benefit.
Read moreMODERN MENTORSHIP: Reflecting on Mentorship as a Twenty Something Year Old with No Answers
“I hope someone takes a chance on you.”
Carole G. Dodson called out to us by way of virtual graduation commencement. Her story stirred me and invoked in me a gratitude for every person who had taken that chance on me.
Read moreMODERN MENTORSHIP: Thinking about mentorship in a horizontal way
While this may not be the only way to consider what mentorship typically looks like, I feel safe to assume that we typically think of mentors as people who are above us. Mentorship is often based on a one-way stream of experience, or in other words knowledge that is not openly available, from the mentor to the mentee.
Read moreAn Alternative Guide for Young Creatives Planning a Career in the Arts
In May 2021, just a few weeks before joining Creative Generation, I completed work on ‘Make or Break: Race and Ethnicity in Entry-Level Compensation for Arts Administrators in Los Angeles County’ a study focused on the relationship between entry-level earnings and the diversity of Los Angeles-based entry-level arts administrators. Personally, this was an attempt to put a spotlight on one barrier in the arts that I had rarely noticed being addressed in literature, policy, or even conversations between colleagues. No one likes to talk about money, however, the lack of transparency about the value of our work, as the study went on to show, has detrimental effects on the working conditions and experiences of all arts administrators, and especially those who are BIPOC.
Read moreArts & Cultural Education's Impact on Global Citizenship
This month, our theme is Global Citizenship.
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