Art, Community Care, & Wellness
Experiences
Art.
Humanity cannot exist without art and freedom of expression because life is art, and art brings life. I’ve made it a goal to become well-versed in a variety of mediums including acting/improv, voice acting, poetry/spoken word, African drum, dance, clay/sculptures, painting, modeling and other mixed media arts. I’m a freelancer teaching artist with the following organizations: Seattle Children's Theater, Art Corps, Nurturing Roots Farm , iUrban Teen, Seattle Parks & Recreation, Path with Art, Seattle LGBTQ Center, & Asé Theater.
Pictured from House Ridden Virtual Photo Shoot with Shannon Pearl
Set Design, Styling, Hair & Make-Up by Taylor-Nicole (Self)
Community Care
I enjoy developing a sense of community through collective care and mutual-aid. I believe in the distribution of wealth, resources, and knowledge to sustain ourselves as a community. It takes a village and we’re not built to be as individualistic as society pushes us to be.
I am specifically focused on initiatives supporting Black/African American/Afro-Indigenous/Native American Communities, LGBTQIA+ folks, environment and recreation justice, youth and family well-being, and animal Welfare.
I am currently involved with King County Play Equity Coalition on the Swim Equity & LGBTQIA+ Affinity Group Action Teams, and Justice Outside , Families of Color Seattle, and in the past have worked with Seattle Humane, Queer The Land, Black Farmers Collective, Southfield Youth Assistance, Mutual Aid South King County, and Deaf C.A.N.
I began the Maria Joy Foundation when I was 16 years old in honor of my mother, Olivia Maria-Joy to focus on literacy, foster care, and child adoption awareness.
Wellness
Healing doesn’t have to be alone, and it shouldn’t be! I curate accessible creative healing spaces for historically excluded folks of all ages such as visual and performing arts workshops, culturally diverse and Ancestral story times, outdoor exploratory workshops, and mindfulness movement workshops.
Workshops can look like somatics, adaptive stretching, dance, drum and music circles, sound healing, guided outdoor play, tarot reading, and/or other disciplines you and your group would like to explore. I’m flexible and open to scheduling virtual and in-person workshops for large groups and organizations, special events, and private 1:1 sessions.
Intentional Investment
I consider myself a community connector and offer a variety of services expanding from child care, grant writing, arts and wellness workshops, career consultation, and more.
I’ve collaborated with a variety of small non-profits, community collectives, and individuals prioritizing Black, Brown, Indigenous, Asian (BBIA) and 2 Spirit, Queer, Trans communities across South King County and Pierce County.