Author Archives: feliciaescandon

Lessons from “Naptown”

This blog post comes to you in two parts. Firstly, one of the most awkward friendship-based situations, in my opinion, is listening to friends talk about inside jokes without being in on it. It’s fun for a couple seconds, of course, because there’s excitement and laughter, but then again, there’s accidental exclusion. So to prevent that possible feeling, I would love to share some of the jokes and lessons from this summer.

 

Me and Katy, a previous CAPS Fellow who now works at ArtMix, welcoming guests to the Art and Home Tour.

 

1. The Byrd Family

Though the Indy CAPS Fellows grew closer day by day through dinner time, there was some general, low-key disconnect due to everyone knowing one another to varying degrees. One day, one Fellow showed up late to dinner and the light-hearted dramatics that ensued afterward centered around a husband showing up late to a wife’s home cooking (stereotypical scenario definitely noted). From this moment, each CAPS Fellow took a role in the family, namely a father, mother, fraternity son, hipster daughter, and an outspoken aunt. Sure, we were acting and having fun, but thinking more about it, I think friendship includes things like how we could easily adapt, make light of a mistake, and use our imagination. At the end of the day, friendship should be a relief and a joy, and these qualities helped make it that.

 

2. Cowboy and Roller Derby Names

Have you ever thought of what your cowboy or roller derby name would be? Well, my cowboy “God-given name” is Wilhelmina “Willie” Buford (named after an Ugly Betty character and a Forrest Gump character). Again, this is another silly, imaginative game of sorts, but these names and other answers stemmed from out-of-the-box questions that sparked dialogue… and a good time. Questions, whether they’re serious or not, are much better at growing friendship than back-and-forth statements. While this should be a given, questions really helped us bond and reflect more about ourselves and other topics.

 

3. Hive Mind

Over the course of the summer, as my suitemates and I spent more time together, we noticed a trend where we would say things in unison (“…we finish each other’s sandwiches”, “that’s what I was gonna say”). Let me just say that this is one, a super awesome phenomenon, but also two, a really neat indicator of closeness. It wasn’t that we were getting predictable, but more so that we simply spent enough time together to “get” one another. Time, I’ve found, is a precious thing. Usually, I think about the time around New Years, the end of the semester, my birthday, and even a death. But time can also be seen as a gift, as a glue, and not just an hourglass. Maybe viewing it as such could change a mindset.

Perry’s drawing of our apartment cohort!

 

4. Dungeons and Death

If I was asked before this summer if I wanted to play Dungeons and Dragons, I probably would have said no, not because I was unaware of the game, but because of the stereotypical associated audience. After watching The Big Bang Theory and peering to see fellow Valpo students engage in a story, I didn’t feel like it would be the game for me. But after a Fellow talked about it and explained the game, I became interested and together, we roped other Fellows (and each of our friends… and my boyfriend) into the game. Because of D&D, I learned that opening my mind and being receptive to a friend’s interest can be fruitful for all parties: I gained a new interest and experience while they felt appreciated.

 

5. The Grate

One day, the Indy gang was walking around and decided to come inside due to an approaching storm. But because there wasn’t any rain yet, we decided to keep walking. Nearly one minute after this group decision, a Fellow heard ducks crying out from somewhere. We all searched for the ducks until we found a family of ducks in a sewer grate. Working together, one of us went in the grate, three of us chased the confused ducklings, and the other one of us guided the ducklings back to the mother. Many things this summer required teamwork, such as moving one another into the apartments, but this one was for sure the cutest and most anxiety-inducing moment. Teamwork, in short, makes the dream work. On a less cheesy note, working together really does produce results, especially when everyone’s on the same page. And yes, we did save the ducks!

 

  

Some super cool art featured at Buckingham Companies’ Art and Home Tour.

 

Second, it has been a busy time since the beginning of July. ArtMix has held two main events, an Art and Home Tour (2 of 3), which is a set of events that bring guests into residencies that collect art, and the Arts for All Fest, a celebration of our students and the ArtMix community. Both went swimmingly thanks to behind-the-scenes work, volunteers, and the amazing attendees. Though these events are very different in nature, they both create a community for ArtMix and continues the ArtMix vision. I am grateful to have surrounded myself in such a positive environment, a philanthropic, kind, and generous environment that is inevitable at such an organization. Though my job was tedious and sometimes tough, it was all the more worth it to help ArtMix. I know it is cheesy to say that everything happens for a reason, which is one of my frequent sayings, but I firmly believe that this summer has helped me bridge junior to senior year and think more deeply about vocation.

 

The ArtMix family featuring administrative staff, two interns, and our volunteer of the year.

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The Vocation of Silent Heroes

My family has always found me to be creative, whether that meant eating hot dogs like corn-on-the-cob at a young age or creating marvelous stories in school through my writing. Even though I, too, find myself to be creative to some extent, I would have never imagined working for an arts organization.

Wait a minute- it’s not just an arts organization. It’s an art organization for everyone and anyone. You may be thinking, Felicia, of course, anyone can do art, or at least, they could try to… why is it so special? But that’s where you’re wrong, imaginary conversationalist. I would venture to say most people think that spaces (whether outside, in school, at work) are inclusive and welcoming to all people, that is, until you are the person excluded by happenstance or purposefully. And this is where ArtMix comes in. 

ArtMix meets people with disabilities where they are at, which is something that is often preached and valued but not practiced. It provides arts programming for all people with its main mission of “transforming the lives of people with disabilities through the creation of art”.

A clay bird that I’ve been eyeing, with a squid behind it that I have also been eyeing

One way that ArtMix has changed the way I think is that it makes me aware of accessibility issues. The first week I arrived in Indianapolis, other CAPS fellows and I walked around town to explore what the city has to offer. After walking a very long time, over twelve-thousand steps I believe, we sat down under the shade of the public library’s trees. It was then that I noticed how people in wheelchairs would have a hard time maneuvering the streets since there is constant construction. My friends and I were able to jump and navigate around construction, but a person in a wheelchair would not be able to do that. I struggle to write this because I know that people with disabilities have agency, yet there are barriers that go unnoticed that make life harder for them to live.

Even though some would say that people with disabilities are handicapped, they are even more handicap-able. I don’t know where I first heard the term, but I try to switch my terminology because I believe it is important to give people more agency than not (thank you, Ed professors). We cannot use our differences, and in this context, the differences of actual and perceived ability, to forge a social (and therefore a mental and emotional) barrier; rather, we must celebrate differences and bond over similarities as best as possible.

The ArtMix Gallery, displaying the artwork of our Urban Artisans

Even though I have worked at ArtMix for nearly one month, the nonprofit world is still a foreign one to me; I can say that I am slowly getting the hang of it, but there is still a lot that I have to learn. Sure, I have volunteered for a nonprofit before (shout-out to the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center), but I have never truly been behind the scenes. Now that I am in the hustle and bustle of a nonprofit organization, I can say that though I knew it demanded a significant amount of work, it is much more detailed work than anything that I assumed. Under the umbrella of development, the ArtMix team created, planned, and implemented our events Here’s the Scoop and ArtMix Home Tours with the help of staff and volunteers. We did everything from advertising, alphabetizing, analyzing- and that’s just the “A’s”. Needless to say, we were booked every day making sure each event would go swimmingly. Programming, communications, development, and CEO leadership are all one-stop shops when in regard to staff members; this still astounds me and reminds me of the passion people have for this cause.

 

Volunteers and staff at our Here’s the Scoop event

Something I have noticed is that ArtMix has a difficult barrier to overcome, for it is on the unfavored side of both the social scene and the arts scene. ArtMix is “low art”, which to my understanding is more down-to-earth and less prestigious. And socially, ArtMix works with a community that is considered “The Other”. This combination is unique, which makes the organization incredibly personal, in my opinion. But this organization- and other ones that reach out to minorities -is pivotal and essential for the people it serves. And that is one of many reasons why I want to be a teacher and pursue the field of education: I aim to build relationships and develop students to a better version of themselves. And furthermore, my passion still remains to make education more equitable. These silent heroes, the people who work for the betterment of others, are the company I plan on keeping.

Outside of work, CAPS has truly blessed me with an opportunity to be independent with other like-minded college students- sometimes it’s fascinating how similar we are. Every evening, we make dinner for one another every night, which I should say is kind of funny, considering we consist of two vegetarians and one person who is lactose-intolerant (so, yes, we are basically vegan for dinner). I really enjoy this, partly because it is routine, and partly because it is a time to catch up and talk about whatever we want to. Sometimes the discourse is silly and lighthearted, but other times, we find ourselves dissecting, and I mean this in all my “millennial” seriousness, the problems of the world and how we find our futures to intersect with them. It is at these points that I like to engage as well as sit back and watch while the people around me exchange thoughtfully eager remarks. Early on, we learned that, for the most part, we have learned that our future careers and our current placements are seemingly thankless yet significant jobs, which I assume most jobs with a foundation on human interaction are. We will be those silent heroes, I’m sure. We’re simply in training right now.