The Evolution of Equitable Creativity

Phase 1: Imagination as such

Creativity lives in me since childhood. I learned the societal value of money. I created another world to assist my imagination in poverty. Building pillow forts, paper doll houses, used household fabrics for create an electric fan cooling tent and other items available to me at the public housing and low-income apartments.

With my creative thinking, I made a cutting tool with my hands because I could not afford a pair of scissors. Simply by creasing then unfolding and forcibly separating the paper. Top and bottom halves but can be different by sizes or length.

Unequal halves but a necessary solution so I could continue allowing my creativity could strive with only the bare minimum because I had my imagination which helped with all my creative activities as a Libra, artist, educator, historian, designer, decorator, carpentedr, and an American Dream survivor.

Phase 2: Common Descent Denied

As highly adapative life developments continue which lead to my extraordinary thought pattern. It helped me spread to my talent to create balance on not equitable scales for human justices.

Through absence of descent learning, I had actually achieved the American Dream, a perfect Deep South citizen life like having a college required job, marrying my high school sweetheart, home mortgage, and completed housewife tasks like shopping, cleaning, cooking.The stress from all equities of the faulty dream caused my strokes because I was overwhelmed overachiever.

There are numerous inspirational facets to this pandemic project. During my social distancing loneliness, I adjusted to my new normal of having impaired mental and physical limitations. While being in different city without any family support

The media, TV commercials, and school were my first role models because the normal guidance was not available. I remember that I raised myself at age 12. Due to my late mom failing health, she stop teaching and I had to take on adult responsibilities like giving shots every another day because her temporary paralysis. She had Multiple Sclerosis, a disease that start attacking your nervous system leaving progressing brain lesions.

My grandmother came my mom’s power of attorney but never my legal guardian that resides in the same home. She also came from different generations that historically considered “second class” citizen being born Jim Crow South in 1945. Segregation laws changed in but the perception does not changed. She will not talk about her time in the rural-suburbanized small town of Washington

As a dark skinned widow with materialistic behavior, she denied the opportunity for loan due to her high revolving credit card limits. She decided to take capitalistic stance and later caused to bankruptcy. That declaration on her credit report is the reason my grandmother never had the opportunity to start generational wealth. She has been renting the same apartment for 30 years. Now the poverty stricken apartment has mold. She is stuck there because she is not afford any Athens rentals that meets her fixed income. The UGA campus is expanded with modern housing near downtown. University gentrification is on and popping

Phase 3: Survival Gradualism

Another Athenian, UGA alumnus HS Art teacher, tattoo artist just your Jack of All Trades” friend stated the brain damages made me “normal”. So many different definitions of that noun. I chose to stop conforming to normality. A usual disagree due our Libra and Scorpio communication.

My creativity had to evolved due to 5 lesions of permanent brain damage from my strokes. Relearning with a different perspective is the only way my post-stroke brain could functions.

This project started during stroke awareness month in May. Personally challenged myself to be productive with 31 days. This activity join the talents with  do-it-yourself tasks with home design, geographical history,  which is  my daily dose of stoke rehabilitation for my lifelong recovery.

The finished project will be posted my growing social media platform. Neal at The Teal is my personal blog for DIY projects as known as Nightowl Rehab. My creative mindset  saved my happiness and actual life. Providing mental and physical health initiatives with therapeutic positive reinforcement for new limitations (personal and professional). As a lifetime learner  understand to adjust and modifications for my stroke affected brain.

This historically based modern art include a 8x10 carpet map rug, electric fireplace, tile and resin with glow paint to match teal color house theme. The backdrop or focal wall painting for my living bar space. It also served as a reminder of my past. I had a 9 feet US map in my HS classroom that I used provide visual instruction. The map came with three pieces which I cut vertical halves and now 6 piece map.

My creative thinking led to equitable solution to cut the 8x10 carpet rug in workable lighter pieces. I researched major waterways which served as cognitive skills practice in US geographical history. Cutting the heavy rug was shoulder and fine motor skills practice. I literally used my small Fiskers sewing scissors to cut out the Mississippi and Missouri rivers to creative a wavy lines to help with the waterscapes. Painting wall with neon color and using tile to represent water movement.

While cutting, I remember my favorite teaching 8th and 11th grade lessons from Antebellum through Reconstruction Era. As a American descendant of slavery (ADOS) and public education teacher. I taught about human and civil rights. Always tried to equal and nonpartisan applies to any religious view beliefs and political parties. Understanding the human minds for retention, there were off topic but historical discussions for equitable content.

Like mentioning the significance of Mason-Dixon Line which not the school textbook. A historically manmade border represented Northern free states and southern slave state with different cultures. The line was formed a border to west in Missouri Compromise of 1820

My teaching career ends due to my strokes. At 32, I had 4 strokes in 9 days from December 2015. I lost my speech and right side with my final and severe. The neurosurgeon (Dr. Rishi Gupta) found plaque in left carotid artery.

Technically, I had 5 strokes. I found a way to still be creative thinking even with multiple transient ischemic attacks or mini stroke that does not leave brain damage. Unknowingly I was battling with that neck plaque in my blood for over 5 months. The scar of my neck is a physical survival wound.

Phase 4: Equitable Speciation

Without my creative mindset and survival mechanisms, I would not who be who I am today now. Even writing this essay is proof the my creative thinking has evolved to embrace all my stroke affected flaws including physical or mental health as black woman while helping others on my self love journey.

A purpose that combines my interest in equality with equity to achieve life balance for my community. This can be done by creating fair and justice starting with history. Then balance should apply to housing and health

Begin the process of saving and revitalize historic properties in redlined US areas started after purchase the tealean green asbestos siding shotgun house. Built in almost 80 years ago.

Think about all construction updates like applying with Americans With Disability Act policy. All houses built before 1992 were grandfathered in. I designed the new floor plan to create equitable access for my wheelchair bound godfather. Still renovating by myself due to a lack of funding by being disabled.

Regardless, I saved to join under 40 membership for The Georgia Trust for Historic Perservation in a month ago after seeing a ADOS property in Washintgon on the Places of Peril for 2020, Cherry Grove Schoolhouse. I will raise fund to save and restore my maternal ancestors’ school, church and burial grounds.

Revitalization and repurposed for Weed School. I live in Sand Hill neighborhood and other US Black residential area were all historically redlined. The elected representatives supported laws and race oriented policies to assist with tenement crisis of Depression and housing shortage during the New Deal.

This action created the metro suburbs leaving this cities to become poverty and heavily policing and law enforcement. District 1 is example of effects the “White Flight” or suburbanized housing development after integration. This area includes downtown, Historic Laney Walker area, Paine College, Augusta University and airport is an “food desert”. There are no grocery stores. You have to go another district (Washington Rd/Masters) or another STATE (North Augusta, SC) for fresh food. District 1 still being affected by redlining policies that started with by the effects of de jure segregation in US

According to Richard Rothstein from his book “The Color of Law” detailed misused government funds for housing segregation. Withholding any taxable funds is a example of dejure segregation. This happened with my maternal family’s hometown of Washington. After Washington joined with Wilkes County. After elected public officials was giving funds to white only private schools. The federal government step in to enforce to dismantle state and local segregation of schools.

My late mom’s went to a fully intergrated school system even played basketball and cheered for football games. With prior knowledge of being active in school like clubs and cheerleading. Also another activities such as pageantry from middle school and undergraduate years.

Even 200 years later, there is still “separate but equal” mindset of US society. Equality is different than equity just pitfalls of classism and depending on your ethnicity even racism. Enforced federal societal integration hurt my community financially but so passing of the 13th Amendment which abolished slavery but create mass incarceration for my Black population

Phase 5: Creating a Intellectual Legacy (Nature Selection Assistance )

The name of this focal wall project is Neon Colors Only: Compromise Burning. Fitting creative but historical factual information for that Jim Crow Era time period

Winning this prize will provide funds to finish this historian art project, renovate exterior to hide cancerous asbestos siding from my redlined environment, any nonprofit establishments fee, and revitalizing funds

The restoration and repurposed will remain a historically black school and nonprofit headquarters. The nonprofit will study, produce and become best providers for CBD products to funds all the school expenses. The nonprofit will start a network club for aspiring black businesses with Continuing education in city history, government and basic entrepreneurship. The Weed School of Sand Hills will be elusive just like Augusta Country Club, the site of international golf tournament.

Writing this essay is an attempt creative but descriptive contextual tool of my Libran inspirations. To advocate for equity of history, home and health for my community is the new Civil Rights Movement 2021 which it fitting because my nonprofit was inspired late Congressman and a Civil Rights activist John Lewis who spoke at Georgia State graduation in 15 years ago. He grew up with poverty and segregation in shotgun house in Alabama.

The goal is to promote change like he did with his equitable achievements and challenges. I will make difference by creating more homeowners with the successful nonprofit endeavors assist with cut the deficit of Black wealth gap in America. Fiskers does not make those kind of scissors but the any gift card will be used toward the future nonprofit and personal projects

In conclusion, creativity continue lives in me due life experiences with giving me drive to create nationwide change. By being my authentic self to create manifestations to serve others to help achieve the balanced reality...equal and equitable