For S. Renee Mitchell, art is survival.
This is not an overstatement.
For 25 years, Mitchell worked as a successful newspaper journalist, most recently for The Oregonian. This highly public role covered up her inner struggle — the doubts, depression, self-loathing.
Then she rediscovered her creativity, and that saved her life, she says.
“Eventually, I came to a point where I needed to leave behind everything I pretended to be, all the roles I played so well, all the belief systems that no longer worked for me, and get back in tune with how to live my live authentically and with conscious intention,” she said in an email. “Art was in the center of that journey that brought me back to myself.”
Now, Mitchell is a full-time teacher artist, designer, poet and playwright, among many other creative roles.
Mitchell and the upcoming TEDxSalem event may be a perfect match. She calls herself a Creative Revolutionist, and works to help others find their creative centers so that they can “gather up and move on.”
Want to learn how to tap into your own creative powerhouse? Get your tickets here.