Strands of Genius: The Artist's Way, Deliver Us, Refuge - Where the Wild and the Weird Gather

Guest curated by Caitlin Fitzpatrick & Casey Carroll

Jan 20, 2022

:: A BIT MORE ABOUT GUEST CURATORS, CAITLIN FITZPATRICK & CASEY CAROLL ::

LOCATION: New York

PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Bold Woman Brands

Bold Woman Brands (BWB) is a holistic creative agency for/by women with a little revolution in their hearts. Our goal is to empower our clients from the inside-out through original storytelling, bold design, and meaningful creative strategies. We are a certified female-founded business, focused on female entrepreneurship and initiatives that support and impact women and equity.

BWB is run by Casey Carroll (she/her) and Caitlin Fitzpatrick (she/her) who met while working at a global communications agency. They connected during the craziest-ever new business pitch (which went totally awry!), and their met eyes in total disbelief...and the shared awareness of the closest exit. Their creative destiny was sealed. Out that exit door was BWB, which has grown to a team of 3 full-time team members, and 20 creative collective members. BWB offers branding, design, and brand building services to growth-stage businesses. We don’t manufacture brands. We midwife them.

Caitlin met Rosie and Faris in SF in 2016, through a mutual friend, Jared Grant. She has been one of their biggest fans even since, and a lover of School of Stolen Genius, and the Experimental Learning Community.

Editor’s Note (Rosie/Genius Steals Team): Of all the things I could talk about, I can’t think of a better hook than the carrot. Not any old carrot, but THE carrot. It looks like a creepy witches’ finger. The carrot started as a prank between Cait and her bestie Jared, who is coincidentally one of Rosie’s besties, too. Cait and Jared would take turns pranking each other by hiding this crazy looking carrot in each others’ things. This didn’t last for hours, or days, or weeks, or months, but YEARS. This carrot petrified and still the game continued, but eventually Cait and Jared moved apart. This didn’t stop Cait. She created an instagram account for THE (ahem, now rotten?) carrot and y’all, it’s one of those things that never fails to crack me up.

Beyond her incredible sense of humor, Cait is one of those women who I learn from every. single. time. I’m around her. When we wanted to invest in The School of Stolen Genius and migrate it to a new platform, Jared, our mutual friend suggested we collaborate. We were planning on a more formal RFP process, but after meeting with Cait & Casey we knew immediately that we wanted to partner with them. We’re so proud of the new School of Stolen Genius, and we’re so impressed by all that their team did - to understand our beliefs, to create something more intuitive, and to guide us through the whole process seamlessly. We had planned to launch the new site just before Christmas, but with the passing of Faris’ mom, we were thrown a little off kilter. But - we’re so close. We can’t wait to show it to you. And thanks again, Cait & Casey (and the entire team at Bold Woman Brands!) for all that you’ve done for us, including curating this excellent edition of Strands. We can’t wait to collaborate with you again!

:: THE LINKS ::

THE ARTIST’S WAY

We aren’t after the humdrum creative routine - we want the messy and meaningful experience. If you are like us, and believe that spirituality can be a path to higher creativity, check out The Artist’s Way. This book is a go-to for us, as we explore how ritual, writing, and daily art practice can support the creative process. Julia Cameron knows what is up. Especially for those of us looking for some creative recovery or a good dose of perspective. We recommend this book if you are feeling stuck or uninspired, or like your art has lost its anchor. (Julia Cameron Live)

DELIVER US

Our friend and collaborator, Randi Matthews produced and directed a documentary called “DELIVER US,” focused on our broken healthcare system, and how it is impacting black mothers during childbirth, specifically. This is an incredible story which follows the journey of midwives, Kimberly Durdin and Allegra Hill, who have built the only Black-owned birthing center in Los Angeles, Kindred Space LA. This documentary is a true testament to the power of film to illuminate social ills, and tell the stories of the people on the ground leading the charge to drive change. We are so proud of Randi for making this film! (Deliver Us)

**ALL THE F*CK IN**

This is All the F**k In, a podcast from two entrepreneurs (Tristan Katz & Lauren Roberts) about showing up for social justice in your work. This isn’t your typical capitalist-focused, entrepreneurial business podcast. (There are already plenty of those.) We’re here because we’ve been craving voices rooted in activism, justice, and INTEGRITY with those values. These are conversations about all things business and entrepreneurship—from a radical perspective that says we don’t have to choose between social justice values and being successful in our work. This won’t be a place where we claim to have all the answers. Our intention is to offer guidance and support while also encouraging our listeners to discover and live into more questions. We believe these conversations require ongoing practice and a consistent dedication to unlearning. If you’re ready to go all the f**k in on what matters most while creating an abundant life, you’re in the right place. (Apple Podcasts)

REFUGE - WHERE THE WILD AND WEIRD GATHER

Have you ever listened to a building? No, like really, we listened to it. If this isn’t a regular practice for you, we highly recommend giving it a whirl, and seeing what you discover. You may never expect the stories that are hidden in those walls. As part of our branding process for Refuge Event Space, we got down on the floor and listened. That’s right. A freakin’ mindful sit and meditation in the midst of a strategy session. If we hadn’t - this space may have become another co-working space, or wellness studio, but instead, it’s full colors are showing as Refuge - where the wild and weird gather. BWB gave this one-of-a-kind venue a party dress, complete with all the fringe, glitter and accessories it ever hoped for. (Refuge Troy)

TO SOCIAL MEDIA OR NOT TO SOCIAL MEDIA

In this self-guided course, we’ll break down the social constructs of social media, explore the emotional and strategic foundations of your social footprint and uncomplicate something that can often feel… overly complicated. (Bold Woman Brands)

Looking for more from Caitlin Fitzpatrick & Casey Carroll? Those enrolled in The School of Stolen Genius will receive a deep dive from them in their inbox shortly! You can access all our expert interviews for SOSG here.

:: AND NOW… SOME FAST FAVORITES ::

:: Game :: Scrabble..or good old fashioned cards! Go Fish, anyone?

:: City :: San Francisco, California (where C & C met!)

:: Book :: “How We Get Free,” “What Do You Do With An Idea” and “Big Magic” are among our favorites.

:: Podcast :: All My Relations

:: Album :: Ani Fuckin’ Difranco (any of her albums, really, but mostly: Little Plastic Castles)

:: LOOK AT US ::

Cheers!

boldwomanbrands.com

Caitlin Fitzpatrick & Casey Carroll

caitlin@boldwomanbrands.com, casey@boldwomanbrands.com

Instagram

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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 :)

Strands of Genius