We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Marquis Victor a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Marquis, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

Elevated Thought (ET), based in Lawrence, Massachusetts is an art and social justice 501(c)(3) organization that actively serves and develops communities through creative youth development curriculum, public art projects, youth organizing, and paid opportunities for creatives of color. Back in 2008, I was developing a poetry and mural project around social issues we saw in Lawrence with my best friend, a street artist. We thought ‘what caused these problems to be seemingly unceasing? How can we, with our limited abilities and experiences, contribute to change?’ I decided that the questioning of social norms and creating potential solutions through art, community, and collaboration could be our contribution to addressing social issues. Much of the sorrow we perceived seemed to derive from limitations of understanding the system and structures that were repressing creative thinking, spaces and visioning of the future for young people of color. I wondered what Lawrence youth could create if they were given more tools to maximize their abilities and to think more deeply about themselves, their community, and social realities they existed in. If youth could show the power of creativity in this small city, I thought, then maybe Lawrence can become a beacon for other similar cities in leveraging art and creativity as a form of liberation. This belief evolved in a way where I determined it essential for youth to have creative access, exposure and opportunities for their own self-actualization and for collective action for definitive, systematic social change. I thought, “this is elevated thought right here”. The idea and the name stuck.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I believe creativity is a necessary tool of empowerment for individuals to better understand self and the communities and societies they live in. working with folx in a marginalized community and creating environments where emerging leaders can flourish and creativity is internalized as a necessary component for change; these have been key features of in my leadership pursuits. Most things in life require a leap of faith; I have faith that through this work, the pervasive institutional shortcomings and intentional structural limitations that would otherwise allow more humans, specifically youth, to emerge as change agents for progressive social change are being combated consistently in tangible ways. This work goes beyond just the young people and seeps into the broader community of Lawrence; engaging people of all ages with art and creations that speak towards many of the dehumanizing social systems and ways in which the community can thrive as one.

I’m proud that Elevated Thought is authentic and true to the mission, even after being in existence for over a decade. For us, there’s always weighted concern given to economic, political and social realities. By doing this, we strengthen the entire community, because the powerlessness of any member wounds the rest of society – inevitably rendering definitive change obsolete. Numerous social conditions — economic, political, material and cultural —impact the ability to realize human dignity and reach full potential. We serve to create more opportunities for youth, artists of color and our staff to question society’s structure, experience new forms of art, and empower them on intellectual, emotional and creative levels in order for them to evolve. Creativity grounds this entire process.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Creatives are needed for us to transcend oppressive systems and structures. They are a cog culturally, spiritually and economically. De-stigmatizing the ‘starving artist’ mentality by proving access and exposure to creative pathways for young people and paying artists well are foundational in creating a sustainable ecosytem for artists.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The consideration of my being and the realities I exist through forms of creativity is truly liberating for me.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.elevatedthought.org
• Instagram: @elevated_thought
• Facebook: facebook.com/elevatedthought
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/marquis-victor-3616aa23

Image Credits
Photo Credits Elevated Thought