About the Podcast Creativity Connects with Mikki Wilson is a Creative Collective podcast that goes beyond the brand and into the authentic journeys of women entrepreneurs who are members of the Creative Collective. Each episode, host Mikki Wilson, from Dot Connector Consulting, sits down with a woman business owner from the Creative Collective community to explore her unique path, what

Lynn youth arts programs at Raw Art Works (RAW) are creating remarkable change in the community. Furthermore, this nationally recognized organization has empowered young people through creative expression for over 35 years. Additionally, with new leadership appointments announced in June 2025, RAW is expanding its impact during a critical time for youth mental health support. Understanding Lynn Youth Arts Programs

When you walk through the hallowed halls of the Massachusetts State House, where contemporary portraits are now on display, you’re typically greeted by centuries-old portraits of historical figures. But this summer, something revolutionary is happening in the Senate Lobby—contemporary artists are quite literally looking back at you. The Essex Art Center’s groundbreaking exhibition, “Looking back at you…”, transforms the traditional

Standing Together: Why Creative Communities Must Unite and Speak Up in Challenging Times, and How You Can Help by John Andrews The Power of Creative Solidarity Against Authoritarianism In Essex County and beyond, we at Creative Collective are witnessing a pivotal moment that affects all our creative communities. As allies committed to amplifying diverse voices, we’ve observed how tensions between

By John Andrews, Creative Collective founder. In a world where political headlines spark heated debates and social media algorithms amplify our differences, we at Creative Collective believe there’s a powerful antidote to division hiding in plain sight: community-centered small businesses and creative spaces. When Politics Divides, Local Businesses and Creativity Connect The political landscape has always featured opposing viewpoints—that’s the

Thank you to Derek Craig at CoFF33 Corp. and Pedro Soto with the MassDevelopmentCreative Cities program for making this event happen! I recently participated in an engaging panel on Creative Ecosystems & Regional Growth at the North Central Mass Creative Network Summit 2025, organized by the Fitchburg Creative City Partnership on February 21-22. This free two-day event, held at the

Versophonia: Volume 1 – Transformations marks the debut of a groundbreaking audio poetry zine produced by Chris O’Keeffe of OK Creative and the Thursday Poets, a Salem-based collective of professional poets. This collaborative project reimagines the poetry zine, bringing the immediacy of spoken word to podcast platforms in a DIY hackathon format. The first volume, themed Transformations, captures raw performances

Are you passionate about the arts and eager to make a difference in your community? MASSCreative, a leading advocate for the creative sector in Massachusetts, has exciting news for you. On August 21, 2024, they officially opened applications for their 2024-2025 Advocacy & Organizing Fellowship program. What is the Advocacy & Organizing Fellowship? This year-long, compensated leadership development program is

🌟 What an incredible night at the Lynn Museum event! 🌟 We were thrilled to cover the return of Final Fridays, kicking off with a spectacular celebration of performance art at Spoken Soul. With DJ RAYVINO setting the vibe, the night was filled with mesmerizing performances by: 🎤 Helina Almonte – A powerful spoken word artist and Lynn English &

Salem Arts Festival returns this weekend (June 3-5) in all of its glory for three days of art, music, poetry, performance, vending, and general spectacle. Because the schedule of events happening in and around Salem is so jam packed, we’ve decided to help you out by selecting 10 of the best happenings going on this weekend. But don’t just trust