Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Carlton Dossou. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Carlton, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
One of the most meaningful projects for me is my nonprofit organization, We Got Next LA! It’s something I hope to pursue and work on for the rest of my life!
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I grew up in Los Angeles! I was surrounded by creatives and entrepreneurs in my family and their friend groups! So I was always searching for what my thing was! Through school, I was able to find out that I loved creative writing! I was a shy and introverted kid, so I kept to myself. Writing became my outlet to express all the thoughts that I could never bring myself to verbally express! Through the years, I began to notice that I loved creating things that could potentially help others! Writing helped others! All I wanted to do was create something of my own that could help others. So I studied entrepreneurship in college and was thrilled to find the field of social entrepreneurship! I knew that was the area I wanted to create something in! So that brought about my nonprofit, We Got Next LA, an after-school program that’ll serve inner-city and at-risk K–12 students in LA!
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being creative, whether it’s my poetry or a nonprofit, is hearing from the people and the positive impact it has on them. Whether it’s someone who read a poem of mine and felt a connection to it because what I was writing was what they experienced too! Or a child or parent apart of my nonprofit telling me they appreciate me for what I’m doing or aspiring to do! All those small moments with them mean so much to me and are truly the fuel that lights the fire within me to keep going!
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
The creative world can be very lonely! Be there for your creative friends and family! Give them a chance! Take some time to hear their songs, read their poems, look at their clothing brands, etc. Show or tell other people about them and their creations. Whether you like it or not, just give it a chance! Tell them how you feel about it! Your critiques and what you loved help them get better. A meaningless comment or text to you might be the thing that keeps the creative from giving up! All the big brands that have such a hold on our lives needed people to give them a chance in the beginning too!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.wegotnext.la/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carltondossou/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cdos2
- Other: https://linktr.ee/wegotnextla?fbclid=PAAaYO3fKk_C21hQ29WX_b-r9oiQhnY_LdMnT9g2GOqxN1Xyd0MKRju2lJTa0_aem_ASvjNb9bK26cIPcDoLenI_KB7Gt11OhKBqxTp0woD8t1-4ilZ38LMDw-XKDXbm4kzuk