Strands of Genius: Give Us Back Our Fucking Gods, Radicalism and Black Feminism, AI Might Put Artists Out of Business But It Won't Replace Them
Shannon Washington, Global Chief Creative Officer, gotham
Each year we aim to highlight 50 creative thinkers that have inspired us by giving them the opportunity to guest curate this newsletter, Strands of Genius. This edition is guest curated by Shannon Washington, Global Chief Creative Officer, gotham.
:: A BIT MORE ABOUT GUEST CURATOR, SHANNON WASHINGTON ::
LOCATION: East Orange, NJ
Apparently I am a genius and a Sagittarius and as such I MUST tell you about what inspires me, what I return to often and what I am obsessed with before I completely change my mind about it all.
This is a look into what I am reading to find the nuggets that fuel the work, spark the brain and feed the soul. I hate reading about advertising, life is so much more interesting.
Editor’s Note (Genius Steals): Shannon has been on my radar for a while (it was about a year ago that we first added her to our dream contributors list) and I’m thrilled to have her guest curating today. She’s shared some of her thoughts below, but I wanted to take a second to brag on her. Not only is she a badass in advertising, having worked with big brands on inclusive brands and messaging, but she also started Parlour, which is both about celebrating Black women's travel stories and designing/producing experiences tailored for creative Black women. She was named by Fast Company as one of the Most Creative People in Business for a reason, y’all!
:: THE LINKS ::
GIVE US BACK OUR FUCKING GODS
I am an eternal lover of fantasy literature, and have always thought “if people like Thor and Loki, wait until they meet Shango and Elegua.” But the truth is that the stripping of African deities during the massive kidnapping of enslaved Africans resulted in a fracture in our storytelling. And we want it back. Ibo sums it up well.(Fantasy Magazine)
RADICALISM AND BLACK FEMINISM
Ever read something and think, “the kids will be alright?” This is one of those reads. Black feminism’s evolution has never been singular, but the way Erica lays it out through a millennial, diasporic lens brilliantly maps it out for the culturist in us all. (Hood Communist)
AI MIGHT PUT ARTISTS OUT OF BUSINESS BUT IT WON’T REPLACE THEM
Obligatory inclusion of something on AI here. I don't think of AI through a zero-sum lens, I know that it will never best human creativity. But when asked to explain why - I have yet to see it summed up better than the way William does, snark aside. Inspiration is unexplainable, and should remain that way as to retain it’s magic. (Persuasion)
Looking for more from Shannon Washington? Coming Friday, look for an interview from her in your inbox!
:: AND NOW… SOME FAST FAVORITES ::
:: Game :: Scrabble
:: City :: New Orleans
:: Podcast :: Scamfluencers
:: Album :: A Love Supreme
:: FAVORITE PHOTO ::
I love this photo, it's by Eugene Richards taken in Arkansas in 1971. I don't know this woman but I KNOW THIS WOMAN.
Thanks so much for reading!
I can often be found musing on creative leadership, giving unsolicited academic takes on reality television and otherwise vibing online, IRL or on your favorite podcast. See it all over at shannonwashington.com.
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It's called Genius Steals because we believe ideas are new combinations and that nothing can come from nothing. But copying is lazy. We believe the best way to innovate is to look at the best of that which came before and combine those elements into new solutions.
Co-Founders Faris & Rosie are award-winning strategists and creative directors, writers, consultants and public speakers who have been living on the road/runway since March 2013, working with companies all over the world. Our Director of Operations is nomadic like us, our accounting team is based out of Washington, our company is registered in Tennessee, and our collaborators are all over the world. Being nomadic allows us to go wherever clients need us to be, and to be inspired by the world in between.
Hit reply and let’s talk about how we might be able to work together :)