I’M A FUN PODCAST GUEST!
A photo I took of some street art in Buenos Aires, Argentina - where my dad is from. Oddly enough, this wall also has the name ‘Ruffa’ on it, which is part of my last name. I didn’t see that until I was editing the photo in post.
I’m A Cultural Spy
Mother from Kansas, father from Argentina, they met in Spain, and settled in Chicago, IL. Product of multi-cultural, bilingual household, urban environment -- identity of “cultural spy” - I'm a fly on the wall in every room I'm in. I take photos, draw & make visual art under an alias, have made music, and love finding innovative & creative paths forward. I am lit up when thinking about novel, impactful solutions for the world.
Grew up in Chicago (in the city) and grew up in Rogers Park - one of the most diverse communities in the entire United States. Went to bilingual immersion public school - focus on art + activism.
I was going to play soccer in college, got hurt, focused on activism, which led to my big question: how we can sustainably fund community work? And my big answer is: value + connection.
I've been working to create both ever since.
PODCASTS I’VE BEEN ON…
THIS EPIC LIFE with KRISTOFFER CARTER
BEAT THE OFTEN PATH with ROSS PALMER
SUPERGIVERS with JESSE JOHNSON
THE LIFE SKILLS THAT MATTER with STEPHEN WARLEY
FULL PODCAST: BEAT THE OFTEN PATH, NOV 2020
WHAT WOULD WE TALK ABOUT??
TOPICS & THEMES
IPaintMyMind's mission and work
Evan's perspective as “cultural spy”
Immigrant experience, father’s story - experience as White Latino
Gratitude as a preset
Ability to relate to everyone - the “chameleon factor”
SOAPBOXES
How art is a matter of equity too. And how creativity and artistic experiences can change the course of people’s lives.
How the nonprofit sector needs to evolve, sustainability
Dirty Secret about NFP common logic, gatekeepers, and funding
Need for earned income to drive NFP work
How artists need to be supported - dentists don’t clean teeth for “exposure”
How schools and teachers need to be supported - habitually underfunded, under-Resourced
A wise society invests in the people that educate our children
The fact that this is the best time in history to be an artist
The idea that children with creative skill-sets will decouple themselves from the commoditized economy