Creativity doesn’t have to be complicated or intimidating. As an artist who began in the landscapes of the American Midwest and Africa, and now based in Minnesota, I find that something as simple as walking can be a powerful creative act. I have an MFA in sculpture, but my work has evolved into a practice centered on walking, designed to explore how creativity can be accessible to everyone, even those who might not see themselves as "artists."
Walking has always helped me connect with the places I live-in and visit. It’s a slow, intentional way to uncover the stories and histories in a landscape. But in addition to than that, it’s about connecting with the people who walk alongside me. These walks turn everyday observations into shared creative experiences, bringing together people from different backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives. A simple walk becomes a way to see our surroundings—and each other—in a new light.
One example of this approach is the "Open Walk" project in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. I invite people to join me on walks where the time and place were a shared decision. These walks are about slowly seeing a place together and sharing a part of our story or way of seeing the world. The art here isnt in creating something physical, but in the shared observations of place, the shared experience, and the shared sense of story within that place.
I also organize a men’s walking group in Minneapolis called "Objective Good Walking." This group was created in response to the growing sense that men are becoming increasingly isolated and disconnected, especially outside of the cultural silos of sports, religion, commerce, and politics. We meet twice a month, setting out early in the morning to walk together without any agenda tied to those typical spheres. These walks offer a different kind of connection space, one that is open and free from those pressures. As the year progresses, we get to experience the same familiar spaces in dramatically different ways. In the summer, we walk in the early morning light, while in winter, we start and end in the dark. The landscape changes with the seasons—colors shift, the air cools, and the sounds of nature evolve. This ongoing commitment allows us to see and appreciate the evolving character of the landscape, deepening our connection to both the place and each other.
The practices I’m involved in aim to open a low-impact space for rediscovering simple creativity. By focusing on familiar activities like walking, these practices invite people to reconnect with their surroundings, each other, and the creative potential that exists in everyday life.
