Exploration 02: Transformation Through Attention

Deep Listening Exercises

I started with a breath exercise that helped clear my head and made me realize I wanted to use my voice—that’s when the idea for a video came in. I also did dreamwork and vocalizing, which helped shape the tone, but the breathwork really grounded me and made everything click. It helped me stop overthinking and choose video as the medium that made the most sense for how I wanted to respond.

The Gift I Received

Reese shared the gift of the intersection between art and impact—how creating art, when rooted in a strong idea and commitment, can lead to real change. The gift itself wasn’t a specific project, but more of a concept she spoke about during class. It reminded me of something she mentioned outside of class: how she launched a mobile art center for youth during the pandemic, after starting a nonprofit at just 16.

What stuck with me most was her honesty about the challenges—how pivoting wasn’t an option, so she stayed committed. That level of dedication created new opportunities not just for her, but for others, and it really made me reflect on how staying with an idea can lead to impact in unexpected ways.

How I Engaged with the Gift

At first, I was honestly confused. I’m used to gifts being physical—even if they’re shared digitally—but this one was just an idea: the intersection of art and impact. I couldn’t see it or touch it, and that threw me off. I didn’t really know how to respond to something so abstract, and it frustrated me.

I thought about making something physical—maybe a collage or some kind of object—but then I heard Sarah’s voice in my head saying, “Stick to what you know.” That immediately brought me back to my day-to-day at Materials for the Arts. That intersection Reese talked about? I live in it all the time.

At MFTA, we don’t just give materials to artists and educators—we also support organizations that wouldn’t have access to creative supplies otherwise, like nonprofits, social services, and city agencies that work with foster youth and other communities. That’s art and impact, happening in real time.

So I shifted my whole approach. I decided to make a short video—not a polished tour, just clips I’d already filmed at the warehouse, layered with a voiceover. It felt like the most real and honest way I could respond to the gift, by reflecting on the work I’m already connected to.

What I Made

I made a short video using a mix of older clips I had filmed around the MFTA warehouse and some new footage I shot specifically for this project. I paired it with a voiceover that connects Reese’s gift to the work we do every day—making creative materials accessible to those who need them most. I chose video because it felt familiar and manageable given the time constraints, but it also gave me a way to respond honestly and directly to the concept of art and impact as I see it in my everyday life.

If I had more time, I probably would’ve chosen a more physical medium—maybe something inspired by the mobile art center Reese once mentioned, like an interactive or sculptural piece. But as the logistics set in and the deadline got close, I stuck to what I knew. Even then, I wish I had time to polish the edit and spend more energy on the narration (which I wrote in about 25 minutes). The final result is raw and simple—not that I’m not proud of it, but it definitely feels vulnerable to share outside of a film/TV setting where the goal is to create through that lens.

*Featured Artist Daveed Baptiste - Designer in Residence at MFTA