Claire Morales LOVES the color yellow. The musician, graphic designer and illustrator made this evident with her “Immersed In Song” design for KXT 91.7, a non-commercial radio station in North Texas. Morales strongly believes in the healing power of creating. For her the spring 2020 lockdown was used to make artwork that propels a sense of energy and optimism. The Gift of a Guitar Growing up in Denton Morales remembers she and her sister listening to artists like Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears. She still adores 90s pop music, while also crediting her parents with  instilling a love for artists like Bob Marley and the Beatles. “Every night before going to sleep my dad would play guitar,” shared Morales. “The songs were cool, not just kid’s songs. That was always really special to me. Growing up, I wanted to be like my dad. I still do. He bought me my first guitar when I was 11 and was always teaching me things. The first song I learned to play was Everywhere by Michelle Branch. I was really into her because she wrote her own songs.” Morales also began singing. At 13 she started to play acoustic gigs at local coffee shops around North Texas. After making the jump to electric guitar, she released her debut album Amaranthine in 2015. The album is a collection of dreamy, hazy rock songs centered around childhood, nostalgia, and coming of age. Morales and her band went out on tour and played numerous festivals like SXSW, 35 Denton, Norman Music …

Since Girls That Create launched in 2019, I’ve had the opportunity to interview many extraordinary women. Recently a check-in request went out to every person who appears in the website’s Creator Spotlight series. Below are the first updates from Writer Jess Rinker, Creative Alchemist Sarah Greenman, and Artist and Teacher Dr. Valerie Gillespie. As you can see, these women continue to be AMAZING forces in their own corners of the world. Girls That Create Creator Spotlight Updates Writer Jess Rinker “My biggest update since last year is the sale/publication of a bunch more books. Out of Time: Lost on the Titanic came out in May. The Dare Sisters was released in September. Send a Girl: The True Story of How Women Joined the FDNY comes out in March 2021. The Dare Sisters 2: Shipwrecked comes out September 2021 and my most recent sale, The Fellowship of the Castle, will come out during summer 2022! So I’m a bit busy. LOL! But it’s all so good. I feel incredibly lucky and honored to keep working in a job I love, especially now in such an unpredictable and unsteady year. I’ve fallen into a “brand” of stories about powerful women and adventurous girls–it’s very inspiring. I hope we get back to in-person events soon so I can actually meet readers. That is the one really disappointing thing about 2020 for authors–no connections. But hopefully it won’t stretch into next year too far.” Original Creator Spotlight post featuring Rinker Creative Alchemist Sarah Greenman “Since you last featured me, I have left my position at StateraArts …

There is a specific image that stood out to Aesha Ash when she was studying to become a professional dancer at the School of American Ballet in New York City. The image, hanging on a wall, showed Black ballerina Andrea Long who had been part of the school before Ash joined. On the toughest of days Ash would stare at the picture and think, “Okay, Aesha, pick yourself up. You can do this, you can do this, you can do this.” In August 2020, Ash became the first Black female member of the permanent faculty in the School of American Ballet’s 86-year history. She is also the creator and founder of The Swan Dreams Project. Its mission is to use ballet and photography as a way to combat the objectification of Black women and stereotypes. Giving Ballet a Chance Ash grew up in Rochester, New York, a place still near and dear to her heart. Starting out she did not plan to study ballet. As a youngster, Ash studied jazz and lyrical dance with aspirations of appearing on Broadway. There were competitions, but Ash wasn’t a fan of trying to beat out other girls. She simply wanted to dance and perform. When a teacher suggested learning ballet would help her become a better dancer, she gave it a shot. “Other forms of dance came much easier to me,” Ash recalls. “Ballet was very, very hard. It was definitely something that did not feel natural. As I got older, I liked that challenge. It was something that …

Bestselling author and illustrator Kate Allan put out the perfect book for 2020. Titled You’re Strong, Smart and You Got This: Drawings, Affirmations, and Comfort to Help with Anxiety and Depression, the work blends sunshine drawings and powerful words. The book not only provides a supportive voice for readers when they’re overwhelmed, it is also a gentle reminder we should treat ourselves with more kindness. Allan began creating to cope with her own depression and anxiety. As her work grew, she started posting drawings on Tumblr. People took notice, a community was born, and today Allan’s social handle, The Latest Kate, reaches more than 100,000 people. Allan corresponded with Girls That Create via email. Q&A With Kate Allan As a young girl, did you see yourself becoming an illustrator one day? Were you always pulled towards drawing or is it something you found later in life? I’ve always loved to draw, but because I had very low self-esteem growing up, I never thought I’d be a creative professional in any form. So now that I have published work, patrons, and people following my art from week-to-week, the whole thing can still feel unreal. It’s like a good dream I don’t want to wake up from. Did you have a favorite picture book growing up? Animated film? Oh, absolutely! I loved fairy tales– my favorite picture book was Snow White and Rose Red, illustrated by Sheilah Beckett. She had this, like, art nouveau style crossed with a bright 70’s technicolor design. It’s so pretty! My favorite …

Growing up in South Bend, Indiana, Heather Marie often traveled to Chicago for back-to-school shopping. The fashion designer remembers feeling enchanted while looking at department store displays. On those trips her mother showed her how to buy items from different boutiques and blend them seamlessly into an existing wardrobe. Today Heather Marie understands clothing is the vehicle she uses to express creativity. Her business, Heather Marie Designs, specializes in private label brands and gorgeous customized hats. Influences “Starting with my grandmother, fashion has very much been cherished by my family,” Heather Marie said. “Growing up I was never a size two, but my mother taught me to purchase clothing that complements my shape. When Hip-hop was televised in music videos and appeared in magazines, it influenced my style. In middle school I had to have a jacket like the ones made famous by the music group Salt-N-Pepa in their video Push It. Searching high and low for that jacket, I learned about fashion designer Dapper Dan and other artists he collaborated with. Seeing those designs at a young age continues to have an impact to this day.” In addition to clothing, Heather Marie also loves fragrances. In high school she dreamed of creating her own perfume and decided to major in chemistry at Butler University (having her own line of fragrances is still a life goal). After graduating, Heather Marie moved to Dallas where she became an active member at Light of the World Church of Christ. She credits a spiritual awakening and reaffirmed relationship …

As a young girl Piera Van de Wiel loved to sing. At eight she fell in love with the song “I Could Have Danced All Night” from MY FAIR LADY. With help from a little karaoke machine, she sang out the tune continuously. One day her grandfather came upon an inhouse performance. Van de Wiel suddenly hid behind him as she belted out the high notes. Her grandfather asked why she was hiding as her singing was beautiful. “Well I’m afraid of my high notes,” was the reply. Van de Wiel’s grandfather told her to have confidence in her talent, abilities, and to stand in front of him and sing out. She did exactly that and today Van de Wiel continues to stand up, sing out, and have confidence as she moves forward with her career. Born in England, the singer-songwriter and actor spent a large part of childhood on the Abaco Islands in the Bahamas. After Hurricane Dorian devastated the region in 2019, Van de Wiel wrote the single “Come Back Home (Abaco Relief Song)” to aid humanitarian efforts. The song won a Silver Medal for Outstanding Achievement in Listener Impact at the Global Music Awards for independent artists. Van de Wiel has long believed in the power of music. When she was 15-years-old, her best friend was tragically killed in a car accident. Reeling with grief, Van de Wiel found comfort when a music teacher suggested she pour her emotions into songwriting. Through crafting songs, she gave voice to her grief and came …

Picking up a camera. Seeing what’s around you. Giving people a voice. These are reasons Robin Baker Leacock loves documentary film. Her latest project, Stella & Co: A Romantic Musical Comedy Documentary About Aging, first aired on PBS in May and was inspired by Leacock’s 103-year-old mother Estelle “Stella” Craig. The film follows the lives of Stella and eight residents (ages 75 to 105) at their independent senior residence. Thought-provoking, the documentary delivers a positive look at what it means to age in modern times through humor, music and storytelling. “My Mother influenced me in every way,” Leacock says. “Her zest for life, finding humor and creativity in every moment and her brilliance in conversation was all inspirational as well as fun. She was very career oriented and continued to write books until the age of 103 years young. In fact, when she passed on, she was just beginning her next book. But mostly she inspired me to give her a voice. As well as other seniors. They all have a lot to say.” Leacock grew up in Toronto, surrounded by artists, filmmakers and musicians. She married Robert Leacock, a second-generation documentary filmmaker and cinematographer. His father, Richard, helped create the cinéma vérité style and was a driving force behind the film program at MIT. Through paying attention to both her husband’s and father-in-law’s methods, Leacock found her own way as a filmmaker. Other films she’s directed and produced include It Girls, A Passion for Giving, Stella is 95 and I’ll Take Manhattan. Truly Seeing Our Elders Stella and …

Three decades ago Las Vegan Kim Bavington started her business Art Classes for Kids. The company has gone on to inspire generations of young artists to hone their creativity and embrace a lifelong love for the arts. Bavington knows thinking freely is where kids’ minds intuitively roam, and she’s all about providing an environment for that magic. This summer she is kicking off a new business venture, ART CAMP IN A BOX. “Normally, my summers are packed with weeklong art camps, which sell out every year—they’re my single most popular program of the year,” she explains. “Knowing I would have to pivot due to social distancing guidelines, I created ART CAMP IN A BOX. I’m really excited about this opportunity because it allows me to bring art supplies and our uniquely fun, innovative projects and educational instruction to kids and families around the country for the first time. Kids will have the flexibility to make these projects at home on their own time through tutorial project videos. They can also participate in live Zoom groups, led by me, if they want classroom interaction while still practicing social distancing.” Career Building Blocks Growing up Bavington had not planned to become an art teacher (and especially not a virtual one). Yet many of her career experiences were the perfect building blocks for figuring out how to teach art. Bavington worked through college as an aerobics instructor, model, restaurant hostess, and freelance graphic designer. She especially credits teaching aerobics with learning how to keep students engaged during class. …

Jane Root was drawn to babies long before she became a mom. The founder and CEO of the production company Nutopia recalls seeing youngsters in strollers and thinking, “What’s going on inside your head?” and “What are you thinking?” Nutopia’s new series Babies explores those curiosities. Streaming on Netflix, the docu-series follows 15 international families over the course of a year. The project dives into how every human transforms from helpless newborn into independent toddler. It also features the latest research from scientists who find the brains of babies fascinating. “This series showcases incredible, groundbreaking science revealing the developmental leaps and bounds babies go through in the first year of life while capturing the personal and emotional journey of the family as a whole,” says Root, who is also executive producer. A Good Story Growing up in Southend, London, Root had two major loves: magazines and history. The daughter of a gift-shop owner and school photographer, Root often dragged her sisters into competitions to choose the BEST magazine covers. Root went on to consume shows like Star Trek, Bewitched and BBC documentaries. One docudrama that made an immense impact was Culloden (known as The Battle of Culloden in the United States). The production portrays the 1746 Battle of Culloden that resulted in the British Army’s destruction of the Scottish Jacobite rising. When asked what three things make a good story, Root shares, “emotion, surprise and a great character.” At seventeen Root had her first article published and studied journalism at London College of Communications. She went on …

It is a lesson women in the arts share again and again, success does not happen overnight. Filmmaker, actor, producer, and writer Jenni Tooley stresses this reality for anyone pursuing a creative career. Last year the Texas native saw her feature film, STUCK, premiere at Women Texas Film Festival 2019. It took 20 years to make. An Actor is Born Tooley first began acting in junior high. During her last year of high school she got the lead role in a UIL play. Although she enjoyed acting, Tooley’s childhood dream was to become an environmental science teacher. However, financial restraints caused her to remain in Dallas and choose to be part of the University of Texas at Dallas inaugural freshman class. Tooley planned to stay at UTD for only two years and then transfer, but she came across the opportunity to major in art and performance and literary studies. “After enrolling I somehow talked my way into auditioning for a play open to upper level students,” Tooley recalls. “I met Gretchen Dyer, the filmmaker, and she, plus her sister Julia, invited me to participate in a live reading of their film The Playroom. That led to me becoming an ensemble member of Dallas’ Undermain Theatre. I also played the lead in a treatment of The Playroom and used the footage for my first demo reel.” Tooley took the reel to an agent, who advised the young actor that she might be “too artsy” for traditional show business. Looking back Tooley agrees; she found trying out for …