2/13 - Drawing the Lines

Drawing the Lines: Exploring Identity Through Art

RECAP

- Shantell Martin, a philosopher and visual artist, originally hails from London but moved to Japan at a young age and spent five years there before traveling around the world.

- Growing up as a brown girl in Southeast London, one of the whitest and most racist areas, she often dreamed of "elsewhere," leading her to the distant shores of Japan, exploring her identity.

- In Times Square, she created a meditation path right in the hustle and bustle, offering people the space to walk, sit, and think, allowing them to slow down with free meditations twice a day.

- Her evolution as an artist stems from using drawing as a tool to express herself and navigate the hostility of her upbringing, connecting her mind and heart through art.

- Shantell's path to art as a career wasn't meticulously planned; it evolved naturally as she continued drawing day by day, realizing it was her true calling.

- Believing in the power of collaboration, she has always sought partnerships with those who complement her skills, such as her experiences in Japan working as a visual jockey (VJ) and creating live art interactive with music in mega clubs.

- She stresses that everyone may call themselves an "artist," but it's about taking action—she continually created and shared her work in NYC, catching the eye of big players and exhibiting at MoMA.

- Collaborative endeavors with Tiffany & Co, Kendrick Lamar, and others followed, encouraging her to focus on making authentic space for her work to attract interest organically.

- Shantell advises against the mindset of "if only I had XYZ," urging to just take action and do. She emphasizes the importance of listening to your intuition and being intentional with collaborations, choosing those that align with your values and purpose.

- Currently, as an artist in residence, she's looking forward to exploring what new opportunities and collaborations develop organically

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Thanks for coming!

:)

Julie Pilat - CGO, FYI

Roneal Madlani - Head of Community, FYI

Sean Kantrowitz - Director of Media & Content, FYI

Emily Choi - Growth, FYI

Frankie Sandoval - Design, FYI

Taylor Weng - Growth, FYI

Meka Lolita - Music Curation, FYI

Aminah Muhammad - Social Media, FYI

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Community

Shantell Martin - Guest of Honor

KJ Rose - Producer

Tam Jones - Grammy Winning Song Writer

Iman Jordan - Grammy Winning Artist

Dr. Malcolm Jones - Iovine & Young Academy

LDorado Jonez - Artist

Karmen Huerta - Podcast Host and Producer

Talia Boone - Postal Petals CEO

Karen David - Tech & Community Boss

Nana Aboagye - Business Strategy

Brian Gray - Music Exec.

Dave Cavalier - Artist

Adrienne Riley - Entreprenuer

Josh Jones - Compton High School Pathways

Tatiana Litvin - iAMAngel

Nereya Otieno - Rising Artist Foundation, Journalist

Ebonie Smith - Founded/CEO Gender Amplified

Akil West - Founder, Sole Folks

Iman Jordan - Grammy Winner!!

Carlos Anthony Lopez - World Builder

Paris McCoy - TEC Leimert

Chancy Wozow - Media Creator & Innovation Strategist

Markus Nielsen-Kolding - Product | FYI

Alex Hutchi - Content Creator

Saika - Artists

Yulia Gonzalez - Social Media Director

OFTN - Artist

Josh Spoon - Artist

Michelle Weatherspoon - Marketing Manager

Will Jordan - Artist

Simi - Writer

Kristin Juel - Founder | Juel Concepts

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FYI Product Team - Templates

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Joshuas Jones - Life in Stereo

Goal:

3 Ways People Can Support:

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TBD - TBD

Project Coming Soon!

Goal:

3 Ways People Can Support: