Credit: Contributed
Credit: Contributed
I have heard before that our region doesn’t have enough going on, or that we don’t have anything great to offer, and I always challenge that sentiment. I will acquiesce to the fact that larger cities often do have more options, but I don’t necessarily think more means better, and I also feel the talent we have here is at the same level or higher than you may find in a larger city. To be clear, I don’t believe this because I am a trained dancer, or a working artist, nor am I a musician or culinary enthusiast. Frankly, I consider myself to have little artistic ability in most disciplines traditionally considered an art form. I believe that such talent exists in our community because I still find awe and feeling in the art I experience in this city.
There is a quote from Mr. Rogers that always goes around in times of struggle about his mother telling him to look for the helpers. I very much appreciate that quote, but personally, I look for the creatives. Not all of us have the skills to verbally communicate our emotions and feelings perfectly. Through art, we can communicate with each other in a way that allows us to be imperfect. Art encourages us to go to a place of feeling or spurs healthy conflict that can ultimately strengthen an interpersonal bond. I encourage you to find and experience the art in our city, because you may just find a hidden gem within yourself.
Sean Mitchell has been a long-time community advocate working in the Greater Miami Valley Region non-profit sector for over 20 years. Sean currently works at Sinclair Community College as the Returning Citizen Coordinator.
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