WEEK 23 - My creative business blind spot...do you have it too?
Hey there, thanks for joining us for Week 23 of HOMwork 2020!
Creative entrepreneurs love finding good quotes.
I love quotes about business. Quotes about creativity. Quotes that will make my Instagram followers feel empowered.
I find a lot of my favorite quotes in creative self-help books, and I know many of you do, too. I don’t think a single day has gone by where I haven’t seen at least *one* hand lettered Brené Brown or Gary Vee quote every time I scroll through Instagram!
I recently watched a great town hall discussion on how to build an anti-racist business (watch the replay here) that supports the Black community, and one of the presenters, Ericka Hines, posed this question to the audience:
“I want you to think about the [business] books that you read - who wrote them? Most likely white men and white women.”
She pointed this out as one way the culture of whiteness is embedded in all of our businesses. It’s our default setting, and only by recognizing it can we actively be more inclusive.
“Oh shit,” I thought to myself, “how did I never notice that?”
Don’t get me wrong - I’ve felt so inspired after reading books by white thought leaders like Brené Brown, Seth Godin, Elizabeth Gilbert and Simon Sinek. I’ve learned so much from white business coaches like Rebecca Rubin and Melyssa Griffin.
But the people we learn from inform the book recommendations we make, the resources we direct our audiences towards, and the quotes that we include in our lettering/design work. And if we don’t challenge our default setting, we’ll keep circulating the same resources around.
I’ll admit I haven’t made enough of an effort to learn from Black educators and authors in the past, but that’s not going to stop me from doing better now and encouraging everyone to do the same with this week’s new assignment.
Your assignment: Design or letter a quote from a Black author, entrepreneur or educator that has inspired you.
The quote I chose comes from Allyson Byrd, a badass money mindset coach I saw speak earlier this year. Not only did she provide valuable insight on creating & selling educational products, but she spoke with the kind of passion and conviction that made me excited to get to work!
Here are five other Black thought leaders I’ve enjoyed learning from (& I think you will too):
Minaa B - therapist who writes about mental wellness
Bryant Terry - vegan chef & food justice activist
Elise Swopes - photographer & creative influencer
Akilah Hughes - comedian & host of the What a Day podcast
Gail Anderson - graphic designer, author & my junior year college professor who encouraged me to go into design, hooked me up with an internship with Louise Fili (!!!), and overall went above and beyond to make sure I succeeded <3
Caption suggestions: Tell us why you chose this quote and why you admire this person’s work. Tell us a story of how this person’s words have impacted your life. Encourage your audience to follow along with the person’s work, buy their book, subscribe to their newsletter, etc.
Post your finished piece on Instagram and make sure to use the hashtag #HOMwork2020 and tag me @homsweethom. I’ll be posting some of my favorites on my Stories to amplify your art + the voices of inspiring Black thought leaders.
Here's to curiosity, creativity and equity!
