Same questions, different lives.

“I grew up in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, but currently work and live in Chicago.”

Aija Larry, Chicago

“I’m from the suburbs of Chicago. More specifically Carol Stream, IL.”

DJ Chris Brown, Carol Stream, IL

“Hello, I am originally from a small town called Carthage, TX but currently live in the Dallas area.”

Keadra Jeter, Dallas

“Being creative has many definitions to me. But most importantly it’s thinking outside the box. Take ideas outside of the normal lines of thinking. In my line of work, that could be taking an idea and flipping it to make something familiar but new.…”

DJ Chris Brown, Carol Stream, IL

“Being creative to me means to allow yourself to be honest and vulnerable.”

Hawa Maya, PG County, MD

“To me creativity is all about letting your perspective be seen or heard…Doing things YOUR way! It’s all a matter of letting your inner self take control.”

JaMesha Hamp, St. Louis

“Being Creative to me means completely expressing your views in a style of media. Media doesn’t limit to just music, art and fashion.. It expands through anything with a meaning.”

“"Being Creative" is complicated. For me, it's being open minded and free spirited. When your being creative, your being innovative, your thinking outside of the box.…”

Aija Larry, Chicago

“I figured photography was my calling when my grandmother fell in love with one of my photographs. It was of three females with African patterns on their faces with their eyes closed and she described a connection to our ancestors.”

Hawa Maya, PG County, MD

“It was sometime during the summer of ’14. I had a strange desire to paint. I couldn’t shake it. I’m not sure where it came from actually. I found myself up at the wee hours of the morning…painting. From there, I painted canvas, wood, glass etc lol.”

JaMesha Hamp, St. Louis

“The first time I knew creating was for me was back in HS where all I did was doodle.. I couldn’t stop.. But it felt good it expressed how I felt at that moment and it helped me better understand text heavy subjects like history.…”

“In first grade I was determined to be an art teacher ( I became a teacher who loves to create her own art). I loved to pull things out the recycling bin and use them to create things with (I still do).…”

Aija Larry, Chicago

“I cannot remember a time when music didn’t fascinate me… When I was young, I would listen to the radio religiously. I loved hearing my favorite DJs on B96 and 107.5 (the local radio stations).…”

DJ Chris Brown, Carol Stream, IL

“I don’t have a pattern or routines so to speak (it irritates my aunt to the core lol). My desire to create comes sporadically. Whenever I get the feeling, I turn on Pandora to one of my many 90’s RnB stations, sprawl my supplies on my bedroom floor…”

JaMesha Hamp, St. Louis

“I don’t have any creative rituals or anything of the sort but I do find myself observing the creative world and how it progresses day by day.”

“I'm complicated, because I make two different types of art. When I create abstract paintings, I lay my table cloth down and put out my paints, turn on some music, and just grab a color. There is no game plan or premeditated idea.…”

Aija Larry, Chicago

“It depends. If I go into a project with an idea of what I want to accomplish, I can sit down and work it out in Ableton, or I could figure out a routine to perform live on my turntables.…”

DJ Chris Brown, Carol Stream, IL

“I have to meditate, speak positive words and remind myself that I’m a talented photographer.”

Hawa Maya, PG County, MD

“My favorite thing I’ve ever created has been my logo.. It’s my everything my baby it’s me, KAV.. Not only my name but also an acronym for Keep Art Vital. This pretty much just means to never let the creativity end.”

“I have two: the African Queen that I created out of cardboard. She's the first one I created after my "art drought". The second one is my The Continuous Fight, that took a lot of planing and intention. It made me step out of my comfort zone.…”

Aija Larry, Chicago

“That’s a tough one… I am my own biggest fan and toughest critic. When I’m riding around, 90% of the time I’m listening to my own mixes. The mix that I guess I’ve been vibing to the most lately is probably my “Jodi Feels” mix.…”

DJ Chris Brown, Carol Stream, IL

““The Creation of Man” of my current favorite art work that I’ve done so far. It represents Adam forming from dust to man.”

Hawa Maya, PG County, MD

“It’s really hard to pick a favorite! I would say the painting of myself. It was the first time that I felt that I was “talented”. It was the first piece of artwork shared, that provoked a range of emotion.”

JaMesha Hamp, St. Louis

“Right now my art is a little political. It's a representation of myself as an African American woman. I depict how it feels to be one in the world we live in. My art depicts beauty, love, pain, and strength.”

Aija Larry, Chicago

“Each project has a different story. “Jodi Feels” is in my Trippy mix series, they are wavy mixes that are based on love and relationships. I have 2 “Born Jamerican” mixes, they focus on my musical background and my heritage.…”

DJ Chris Brown, Carol Stream, IL

“I want to communicate dignity, and unity to my viewers, I want them to feel somewhat empowered or inspired by my work. If I can’t change the world, hopefully I can spark the mind that will.”

Hawa Maya, PG County, MD

“I’m not too sure. I honestly don’t feel I’m try to communicate anything.”

JaMesha Hamp, St. Louis

“With my art I want to show people that you don’t need to be an artist or anything of that such to be creative.. All you need is a story and a purpose and ambition to push it forward.”

“There’s a few. I took a single theater class when I was in college. It was called “Sound for Theater.” The class focused on the concept creating sound for scenes in theater and in movies. Think of what actually makes a horror movie scary.…”

DJ Chris Brown, Carol Stream, IL

“I would love to get into printmaking if I ever get the chance. I took a class in college and loved it! There are no limits to print making.”

Hawa Maya, PG County, MD

“I love working with my hands and something about power tools seems exciting. When I see others masterpieces from I think to myself “hey, that’s cool! I think I could do that.” It’ll be a new challenge. It’s artwork a tangible 3D definition.…”

JaMesha Hamp, St. Louis

“I’m not to sure on what creative medium I want to go forward with yet but I know I want to inspire.”

“Photography! I love capturing landscape pictures. When I drive home, I take pictures of the sunsets and sunrises, But with my I phone. Unfortunately, I am unable to capture the beauty and quality of what I see. My next big investment will be a camera.…”

Aija Larry, Chicago

“The best advice I got about being creative was to not over think, and to stop worrying about other people’s work, and what others will think of it. To completely be yourself and show it in your work. There is no one like you.”

Hawa Maya, PG County, MD

“Hmm…I guess…for me, going to art showcases or just taking in the Beauty of things around me whether it be nature, architecture, clothing etc…helps me be more creative (even though I don’t consider myself creative. So I guess my answer would be to draw…”

JaMesha Hamp, St. Louis

“The best advice I have gotten to be more creative is to just be you, even when you stray away from your comfort zone don’t ever loose sight of who you are and what your brand is.”

“I've never had advice, just a great experience. I had an art teacher in high school, who taught me to be myself. She trusted me as a student and allowed me to go "outside of the box" when ever she gave us an assignment.…”

Aija Larry, Chicago

“Every great DJ that I’ve ever heard speak on creativity talks about the importance of practice and really immersing yourself in the culture. DJing is a multifaceted job. To be good/respected you need to be technical in your mixing and scratching.…”

DJ Chris Brown, Carol Stream, IL