Art for Social Change JAM

On June 9, i ventured into the Santa Cruz Mountains to join 29 other ARTivists (artist activists). We were musicians, visual artists, dramatists, dancers, graphic recorders, spoken word poets, and so many other “categories” of creatives who aim to use their art (at least sometimes) as a tool for social change. For the next five days, we were going to JAM.

Never heard of a JAM? Neither had i - until Gino Pastori-Ng (dear friend and co-founder of Youth Impact Hub) suggested i check it out. And so i did. Not only did i discover Gino would be a co-facilitator, but also Annie-Rose London would be another of the five facilitators. (Later, i learned their preferred term, facilitant, which now makes sense to me; they were engaged as participants almost more than we were.) Annie-Rose (aka, A-Ro) was one of the teachers at my InterPlay workshop earlier this year, and embodies the kind of playful unapologetic expression i aspire to.

Trees are my jam. The JAM was in the Redwoods.

This 7th annual Art for Social Change JAM focused on mutual support, interconnection, collaboration, visioning, and lifting up the essential contributions of artists in social transformation. What did that all really mean? For me, it was a beautiful and much-needed mix of self-examination, creative expression, and connecting with other creatives — all in a safe space of experienced guidance, Redwood forest nature, and that kind of vibrant, healthy, home-cooked food you wish could magically appear on your table at home every day! (Gratitude shout out to Jocelyn Jackson of People’s Kitchen Collective!) Most importantly, it was about the other humans i shared time and space with; we became family (aka, JAMily). Now i have a support team, 29 deep, rooting for me and there for whatever i need - and vice versa. Nothing beats that.

Words don’t do the JAM justice. It was laughing, and crying, and cabin bunking, and creative exchanges, and group improvisation, and dish duty, and music, and dancing, and the kinds of group activities that help you see your blind spots, and the kinds of humans that help you sort through what you just saw in yourself, and all that —- i walked away 110% inspired to fully embrace the Artist in me, the one who wants to do the work and instigate the play and co-create with other humans all freakin day, because that’s what feels most alive, and because that’s what i bring to the world. Connecting with and learning from other humans through the process of making together, moving together, playing together.

You can learn more about the Art for Social Change JAM — and about the organization YES! that puts on all the different kinds of JAM events around the world in an effort to connect, inspire, and collaborate with change-makers to build thriving, just, and regenerative ways of life for all. i say YES! to that.