The Power of Nurturing Creativity: Reflections from IP’s Black Parents
Inneract Project parents both new and old weigh in on the benefits of allowing their children to pursue their interests and talents in the creative arts.
By Inneract Project
In honor of Juneteenth, we wanted to hear from Black parents at Inneract Project about how nurturing the creative interests and talents of Black youth can positively impact the Black community. Our IP parents play a huge role in the IP community. Their perspectives help guide our work as we seek to provide access to opportunities, tools, and support for Black and other underrepresented students of color to become the next generation of designers.
Lisa Felix recently joined IP with her 13-year-old daughter, Jasmine after hearing about Inneract Project from Kim Woods, wife of our founder Mo Woods. Kamilah Cunningham and her daughter KaLani, age 17, have been involved with IP for more than five years. She learned about IP through another parent at school. Similarly, Marissa Lee- Baird got her 16-year-old daughter Brooklyn involved in IP after learning about the organization when Brooklyn was in 5th grade. Marissa and the parent who recommended IP to her are still involved with IP to this day, and now their children are juniors in high school.
We spoke to Lisa, Kamilah, and Marissa to hear their thoughts on the benefits IP has had on their children and why it’s important to allow our Black youth to explore pathways in the creative arts. Get their insights below.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Q: What prompted you to enroll your child in IP’s program?
Kamilah: My child was simply always being adamant about exposing her to different things and allowing her to figure out what she is passionate about. My daughter has also always been a creative soul and I felt this program would bring something out of her that she hadn’t already tapped into.
Lisa: Well, I was sharing with Kim that my daughter, Jasmine, is a talented artist. At the time she was just turning 13 and was just beginning to think about her future. She’s always been very artistic, and she just has an eye for designing things on her own. Jasmine also had interests in things like free hand drawing, painting, and animation, so I just wanted to help guide her with her talents and support her because her school didn’t have any type of program.
Marissa: For us, I think I was new to the school and just getting involved and meeting people. So it was a nice recommendation for us, and it all worked out well. We love the program.
Q: What changes have you noticed in your child since they became an IP student?
Lisa: I’ve noticed now that Jasmine has been exposed to these experiences like going to Apple’s campus and speaking to designers from Google, this career field seems more tangible to her. Before, it was hard to conceptualize herself in these spaces because everything was more abstract. Now she’s willing to actually consider herself doing this kind of work in the future because of the experiences she’s had.
Marissa: Brooklyn has become more involved in art and she’s becoming more meticulous in her designs. For example, for Mother’s Day she made me a pop-up card, and it was so awesome. I was like, “Oh my goodness, you made this. Gosh!” So just exploring different options and trying to learn new things is what I’ve noticed.
Kamilah: Changes I’ve noticed in my child since joining IP are her broader thinking and intentionality to look for and welcome different perspectives. I believe IP has also sharpened her eye for design.
Q: How has your child benefited from learning about the design industry?
Marissa: I like that she’s getting exposed to opportunities and resources she normally wouldn’t have access to. The exposure to workshops and connections to companies like Pinterest and Google has been great for her.
Kamilah: To me, supporting my child to learn about design is just adding another tool to her growing tool belt. In a fast-growing industry that hasn’t always been so inclusive for people of color, I wanted my child to have an opportunity to have her hand in it if she so chose to pursue it.
Lisa: For me, I grew up in South Central. My mother was a single mother. We lived with my grandmother, and I had to take 40-minute bus rides every day to go somewhere other than my local inner-city school. When I did go to college, I didn’t get exposed to as many opportunities as to what jobs and opportunities were out there. It was such a limited view for me.
Now as a parent, my thinking is just to expose my child to more. She doesn’t have to just know what her dad does, or what I do, or what other family members do. But I want her to see what other opportunities are out there that she would actually enjoy pursuing and will allow her to make money.
Programs like Inneract Project allow kids to see examples of people who started out like them with an interest in design that turned that into a career in a great industry. I love that IP is able to realize that these kids have a gift, and they work to nurture it.
Q: How has IP’s focus on empowering Black students specifically impacted your child?
Kamilah: My child, being advocacy minded since she was in elementary school, has always sought spaces that not only hold space for black people, but that also celebrate and were created for us. And while she appreciates others and has friends from all different backgrounds, ethnicities, etc., she is very aware of and firm in who she is and leads with her power as a Black, intelligent, and articulate young lady. She is also very cognizant of the fact that there are programs for us that aren’t necessarily founded and run by us. So, she really appreciated learning that Mo [Woods] is the founder and creator of this program.
Lisa: I think that it’s good for Jasmine to see other Black people that are wanting more for themselves and more for their lives. She does go to private school, and although the school is pretty diverse, it’s very small. So I’d just like to expose her to the Black community as much as I can. We especially appreciate that IP is a community that’s positive and nurtures her creativity.
Another great thing about IP’s community is that it also provides tools for its students to use that sometimes, single-parent families or families who can’t afford all the extra things sometimes may not have access to. For instance, when we went to the Apple campus with IP, we were able to receive all types of design materials like pencils, pens, and sketchbooks. Jasmine was even able to receive a laptop that Inneract Project donated to her, and an Apple laptop at that. It’s those things that we might not have been able to provide that partnering with Inneract Project has been able to help with. To see Black people coming together to support their own community is just amazing.
Marissa: For one, I think that IP’s focus on empowering Black students has actually been positive for me as a parent! I love this positive environment. Last year, for example, was the first time we went with IP to the Black College Fair. Being in that environment, and seeing others doing great things makes this pathway more tangible for the students. I like the exposure that it has given my daughter. Even if she doesn’t end up ultimately doing design, just being around other positive Black people has been like a good thing.
Q: Do you have advice for any Black parents who are thinking of getting their children more involved in design or creative arts?
Lisa: My advice would be if you see that your child has a gift and that they enjoy artistic activities, that gift should be nurtured. As a parent, I think we should allow our children to at least look into this interest to see if they blossom into it. And if they don’t then of course, use your own parental hand to guide them in another direction.
Marissa: I definitely have referred IP to other Black parents. I went to a Black caucus gala and I was sitting next to a Black parent who I didn’t know, but we were talking and he has kids about my child’s age. His children had an interest in the arts, but I don’t think they were on track to explore that route so I told him to try out Inneract Project. I promote IP all day, and I think getting our children involved in programs that do such great things is amazing. It’s very important because I don’t think that students would be able to have the same access to these opportunities without a program like Inneract Project.
Kamilah: My advice for Black parents pondering getting their children involved in design or any kind of creative arts field is to expose, expose, expose! Expose them to the world of creative arts and allow them to discover if it’s something they have a passion or genuine interest for. They just might be the next person to break some barriers and open a door for others to walk through like Mo did!
Are you ready to connect with Inneract Project? Parents, learn how you and your child can join the IP family here.
