CreativeMornings/Charleston @creativemorningscharleston - Tumblr Blog

Luke Shirley, Quest

Born and raised in Charleston, Luke Shirley grew up with a love for the water and the outdoors. After graduating from the College of Charleston in 2018, he spent a year in Barcelona teaching English and traveling before returning home to co-found a small business during the pandemic. It was then he noticed a growing need for affordable, community-driven mental health care for young adults. Having faced his own struggles with depression, Luke felt called to act. In 2022, after hosting a recovery awareness tennis tournament—and losing a friend to an overdose—he launched Quest, a community-building organization aimed at helping college students feel safe, seen, and supported. Today, Quest has its first student-led chapter at his alma mater as well as at The Citadel, and Luke hopes to be a lighthouse for others navigating their own recovery journeys as they continue to grow.

Hey, we're QUEST - a 501c3 nonprofit in Charleston, SC. Our mission is to strengthen the mental fitness of students and young adults through

Hailey Lowe Fennell is a Psychic Medium and the founder of House Guest, a podcast devoted to making connection—both spiritual and human—simple, accessible, and grounded in real life.

Through private readings, group sessions, and intentional rituals, Hailey helps people connect with loved ones who have passed, guides, and their own souls. Her sessions offer clarity, direction, and a sense of being deeply supported—even (and especially) during life’s hardest moments.

Hailey’s style is down-to-earth. She believes psychic connection doesn’t require elaborate rituals or a perfect state of mind—it can happen in a quiet moment over coffee, during a walk, or while lighting a candle at the end of a long day. Her work is rooted in the idea that connection should fit into your life, not the other way around.

What sets her apart is the way she blends the sacred with the everyday. Whether she’s guiding a corporate team-building experience or helping someone navigate grief, Hailey’s readings are practical, heartfelt, and often surprisingly funny. She’s known for helping people reframe dark thoughts without fear, invite in support with ease, and feel more at home in their lives.

Hailey Lowe Fennell, Psychic Medium and host of House Guest, the podcast that connects you to the other side.

#charleston #creativemornings

To celebrate Black History Month, Shaniequa L. Washington is joining Creative Mornings to explore the theme of "layers" — how our experiences, identities, and passions shape the fabric of our lives. Shaniequa will share her unique path from corporate executive to fashion designer, discussing how the many layers of her journey have woven together a powerful connection to community, purpose, and business.

Shaniequa is a Charleston-based content creator, wearable art and earring designer, mental wellness advocate, and cultural awareness speaker. With 24 years of senior leadership experience at a Fortune 500 company, she is also a certified diversity and inclusion trainer, Life and Leadership coach, and the lead curriculum writer for Atiras International Coaching Academy. As the founder and CEO of Zuriel Kingdom Collections LLC and Blue Penguin Logistics, LLC, Shaniequa uses fashion as a tool for community impact, encouraging self-love and authenticity. She is the author of Leading From The Front (2015) and an international speaker. Her work has been featured at the Avery Research Center at the College of Charleston, The Gibbes Museum, Meyer Vogel Gallery, Charleston Women Mag, Fox News, Charleston Magazine, and more.

For this month’s theme of “Journey,” we’ll meet Kate Boyette, a creative visionary on a mission to redefine the historically cutthroat publishing industry. With the launch of her new feminist literary magazine, Revisionist, Kate is paving the way for a more equitable future for writers—one that values and fairly compensates the artists whose creativity fuels the industry’s success.

Kate Boyette started in N.Y.C. with independent film production, which led her to L.A. to work at Creative Artist Agency. Underwhelmed teaching celebrities how to drive their Priuses, she left CAA and enrolled in Le Cordon Bleu. Since then, her culinary pursuits and events took her from Texas to Park City, Utah, to eventually, Charleston, S.C. as the first editor-in-chief of the culinary publication, The Local Palate. She recently launched her boutique cookbook publishing company, Mise En Place Publishing, and earned her MFA in creative writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts, combining her two loves—cooking and storytelling.

#creativemornings #charleston #creative #creativity

Get to know Maria Kelly, founder of AMOR Healing Kitchen

What do you love most about what you do? Every single day is different and I'm constantly learning.

What inspired you, and how did you become involved in your current career(s)? I planted the seed of AMOR Healing Kitchen after a 14 year career in teaching high school in Charleston County. My love for plant-based food, local farms, working with teenagers, and supporting people in a time of need is the foundation of AMOR. I had been with my mom during her journey of a Colon cancer diagnosis and she was the one that instilled in me a love of cooking and healthy food. Growing up, no matter how busy everyone was, we always sat down together at the dinner table. I learned at an early age, that food connects us and heals us. I would often cook for my mom and take her food when she wasn't feeling well and I felt that was a little bit of comfort and strength that I could offer her during that time. Being a teacher for 14 years showed me that the youth have so much to offer in shaping the future of our community if you offer them the tools to guide them. When I learned of an organization in California that works with teens and serves people with health challenges, I just had this deep feeling of connection and that something similar could work in Charleston.

How do you start your day and end it? Start - coffee, breathing practice, sitting outside listening to the birds. End - Cooking, eating dinner with my husband, watching a show, going for a walk, and then reading.

Tell us about your proudest moment or accomplishment. The moment I took the leap and decided that I was going to leave my teaching career to start AMOR.

Who or what gives you creative inspiration? A lot of creativity comes after my breathing and meditation practice. Being in nature, traveling and surfing makes me feel an innate sense of freedom and inspiration as well.

Rapid Fire

Morning person or night owl? MORNING 100%

Summer or winter? SUMMER

Mountains or beach? BEACH BEACH BEACH

Fiction or nonfiction? Fiction for books, nonfiction for podcasts

Tina Heath-Shuttenberg, Beautiful South

Tina Heath-Schuttenberg is an AZ native who moved to Charleston, South Carolina in 2015, eventually co-founding Kwei Fei and Beautiful South, both extremely popular Asian inspired local eateries. Creative Mornings Charleston is proud to have her as the featured speaker for the April 2024 theme: Spicy.

1. What do you love most about what you do?

There's so much to love, but it's the people. First of all my Partner, David. We balance each other. The team, we're incredibly lucky to be able to work with a dedicated group who works with care, humor and creativity. The guests, when you work in a restaurant you're brought into people's lives in these really important moments. People leave with a memory, we just hope it's a good one. The community, our fellow restaurateurs are our lifeline.

2. What inspired you and how did you become involved in your current career(s)?

It was out of necessity. We started a pop-up and someone had to work the register. I spent my youth working retail, so I knew I could work the front. I also knew I wouldn't be great, but I was working for free. A few months later I was laid off from my full-time gig. That meant that Kwei Fei had to work. There was a point before we opened Kwei Fei at The Pour House where I was able to ask myself if I wanted to continue down this path. There was a talented team who wanted to work with David. I could move along if I wanted. When I thought about it, I knew that I wanted to be on the ride with David. I also really love a challenge and this fills that need.

3. How do you start your day?

I wish I was one of those early birds who jumped out of bed ready to go. I am not. I wake up a bit later, check social media with cat cuddles then move onto coffee. I hope to be a full functioning human who's tackling the world by 11am.

4. Tell us about your proudest moment or accomplishment.

Other than being a Mom, it's opening Beautiful South. We opened that space without an investor and with no first hand experience. It was (and continues to be) the hardest thing we've ever done.

5. Do you have a hidden talent?

I wish!

6. Who or what gives you creative inspiration?

A challenge. I love digging in and seeing how we can create an opportunity.

7. Coffee fuels our morning events. If you’re a coffee drinker, what’s your go-to order?

Cold Brew. Hot Beverages make me gag, so it has to be cold. Maybe warm. Not hot.

8. What is your favorite place in Charleston?

My back porch. She's seen weekly Sunday hangs, girls nights, family dinners and lounging in the sun with piles of neglected magazines.

9. How do you unwind or de-stress?

Read about fashion, dig for archival pieces and sell clothes. I'm not in the industry anymore, but I pretend the restaurant floor is a runway.

Be sure to join Creative Mornings Charleston on Friday, April 19, 2024 from 8 to 9:30 AM at Beautiful South in downtown Charleston to hear more from Tina Heath-Schuttenberg as she speaks on this month's theme: SPICY.

Joey Welling, Ethos Athletic Club

Joey Welling was born and raised in Charleston, SC and is a graduate of Bishop England High School and The Citadel. He’s been in the fitness industry for 19 years, working his way up from folding towels to becoming a personal trainer to traveling to NYC, ATL and Nashville, to finally co-owning his first gym in 2016 and later delivering his dream to his hometown in 2021 through Ethos Athletic Club. Joey is passionate about 3 things: health, hospitality and the New York Yankees. And he still folds towels to this day.

Joey entered the fitness industry because he fell in love with the environment of a gym. All of the “wrong” jobs he held taught him to appreciate the power of a positive environment and good people. This soon collided with his desire to better people’s days through health and wellness. The eagerness of the teen who mopped floors led to the entrepreneur who founded an athletic club based upon character, community, creativity and a fundamental “WHY”: make someone’s day better.

Ethos Athletic Club was established in the chaos of 2020 – in part to add positivity and health to a world full of negativity and fear. Joey took a leap to build a brick & mortar business when the gym industry as we knew it was threatened to ever exist again. Instead of following the trends of the time, he decided to go directly toward the obstacle - not reinventing the wheel, just spinning it in a different direction.

Joey believes, and has instilled in both his Team and the members of the Ethos community, that we all have a responsibility to do good – to create a positive impact that goes beyond the individual and the walls of Ethos Athletic Club.

Own it.

Tripp Brower, Apparent Winds

A Lowcountry native, Tripp grew up constantly submerged in the waterways and culture that make up the coastal regions of South Carolina.

In 2014, Tripp founded the Lowcountry Maritime School (LMS), a 501©(3) non-profit organization dedicated to teaching young people math and science skills using boat building as a teaching platform. The mission, still to this day, is to inspire the Lowcountry’s younger generations to reach their full potential through boatbuilding and exploring maritime culture.

In 2019, his passion for the natural environment, the belief in the connectivity of people, and a desire to gain a broader perspective on coastal regions worldwide inspired Tripp to co-found Apparent Winds. He resigned from LMS to set sail on a two-year circumnavigation and film project. Tripp is taking lessons from that journey and leading a new iteration of Apparent Winds.

Apparent Winds is a 10-year global expedition dedicated to collecting and sharing environmental and cultural preservation stories while conducting marine research aboard the sailing vessel ‘Resilience.’

Lee Pringle, Founder & Artistic Director - Colour of Music Festival

A visionary leader with a bold depth of field and admired among his peers for accomplishing the unimaginable for many players and patrons in the classical music world, Lee Pringle has mastered cultivating and curating programs including but not limited to spirituals, gospel, chamber, and orchestral presentations that span the evolution of his life experiences. #cmchs #creativemornings

Marissa and Clay Carlisle of Bevi Bene Brewing Co.

Co-owners and husband-and-wife duo Clay and Marissa Carlisle opened Bevi Bene Brewing Co. in June 2022 in the heart of Charleston’s brewery district. Bringing together their passions for the outdoors, entrepreneurship and living well, Bevi Bene is Charleston’s first authentic lager and hard kombucha brewery.

Let's get to know our speakers:

Clay Carlisle:

1. What do you love most about what you do?

Seeing people enjoy something we've created.

2. What inspired you and how did you become involved in your current career(s)?

I like to create things and try to perfect them. Making beer and kombucha gives me that outlet, and figuring out how I can make them better inspires me to keep going.

3. How do you start your day?

Make breakfast for the family, grab a coffee and head to the brewery.

4. Tell us about your proudest moment or accomplishment.

Anytime my kids make a joke.

5. Do you have a hidden talent?

I can count backwards.

6. Who or what gives you creative inspiration?

Marissa.

7. Coffee fuels our morning events. If you’re a coffee drinker, what’s your go-to order?

Cold brew, black.

8. What is your favorite place in Charleston?

The beach.

9. How do you unwind or de-stress?

A beer or kombucha!

Rapid Fire:

Morning person or night owl? Neither. Afternoons.

Summer of winter? Summer.

Mountains or beach? Beach.

Pancakes or waffles? Pancakes.

Fiction or nonfiction? Fiction.

+++

Marissa Carlisle

1. What do you love most about what you do?

Having a creative outlet and control. Talking, selling, drinking a product I believe in and working with a kickass team who feels the same way! Love our team.

2. What inspired you and how did you become involved in your current career(s)?

Travel for sure. When Clay and I travel and want to explore the city, we always check out their local brewery scene. Clays been brewing for a while but this is what inspired and created Bevi Bene. Figuring out what exactly we wanted for the tap room by experiencing different breweries, vineyards, tasting rooms and hotels.

3. How do you start your day?

Get our girls up & dressed (without arguments if possible) ;) drop off to school, have a coffee and a piece of toast, head to Longevity!!! Then immediately to The Daily for a burrito. Then head to Baba's on Meeting to do work on my computer for the brewery. Can't imagine a better day!

4. Tell us about your proudest moment or accomplishment.

Proudest day would probably be the first week we were open when customers came in, drank the beer, liked it and came back!!

5. Do you have a hidden talent?

I wish, sadly none.

6. Who or what gives you creative inspiration?

Local artists, whatever city we lived in, I've always pulled inspiration from the city that I'm in. Immerse yourself in your current culture.

7. Coffee fuels our morning events. If you’re a coffee drinker, what’s your go-to order?

Oat milk latte with honey. Hot!

8. What is your favorite place in Charleston?

Home. But if I had to pick somewhere else, I'd say walking the Battery by myself or eating oysters with my family.

9. How do you unwind or de-stress?

Walking! One foot in front of the other.

Rapid Fire:

Morning person or night owl? Morning

Summer or winter? Summer

Mountains or beach? Beach

Pancakes or waffles? Pancakes!!

Fiction or nonfiction? Nonfiction

#creativemornings #charlestoncreatives #charleston #charlestonevents #creativity

Movement with Yuriy Bekker

What do you love most about what you do?

I love making music in so many different ways. I love the violin and I enjoy practicing. Conducting has always been a great dream of mine. I feel very fortunate that I am able to do it in Charleston. I love that through music we can express so many emotions. What makes me even more happy is that through music we can connect to our listeners on a deeper level.

How do you unwind or de-stress?

I love to watch a good show on Netflix and an occasional glass of wine. Does not happen often, but getting out to walk on the beach is a great de-stresser. Spending time with friends is a great too. I love people and spending time with good company is always fun and relaxing.

What is your favorite place in Charleston?

I have so many. Charleston has so much to offer. I love the beaches, the battery, waterfront park. During the holidays I love to visit Charleston Place because their holiday display is so beautiful and my kids love the trains

Coffee fuels our morning events. If you’re a coffee drinker, what’s your go-to order?

I am a big coffee drinker. I drink a lot of coffee during the day and I love my new Nespresso Vertuo machine. My favorite is a cortado with oat milk.

Who or what gives you creative inspiration?

I love to listen to the old recordings of the great violinists and conductors. I love the “old- school”. It is so inspiring to hear violinists David Oistrakh and Isaac Stern. I look up to my teachers and would often remember and think about their comments about various ways of practicing and playing.

Do you have a hidden talent?

I am really good with puns.

Tell us about your proudest moment or accomplishment.

Most recently, I had to step in and conduct a masterworks on a few hours of notice. The conductor was sick and I was asked to step in. It went so well and it pushed my conducting and music making to a much higher level. Overall, this was an incredible experience and something a learned so much from.

How do you start your day?

Coffee and kids!!

Rapid Fire

Morning person or night owl?

Night owl definitely

Summer or winter?

Spring

Mountains or beach?

Mountains

Pancakes or waffles?

Waffles

Fiction or non-fiction?

Non-fiction and biographies. Historic facts

Sanctuary with Kate Ledbetter

Redux has been a sanctuary for creatives in the Lowcountry for years, CreativeMornings included, which is why we are thrilled to kick off 2023 with Redux’s new Executive Director, Kate Ledbetter. We chatted with Kate to know her a little bit before our January talk.

1. What do you love most about what you do?

Being immersed in an endlessly creative environment. It's a lot of energy!

2. What inspired you and how did you become involved in your current career(s)?

We have always been huge fans of Redux and followed along with the growth and careers of the studio artists over the years. I have worked in non-profits in Charleston over the past 20 years and the opportunity to serve Redux in this way was a natural fit.

3. How do you start your day?

I start every day with meditation, burn some incense, play music...and then it's off to the races. With two young sons our mornings start early and require copious amounts of coffee.

4. Tell us about your proudest moment or accomplishment.

I am very proud of our kids. When a wild piece of art I created was accepted into the Redux auction in 2020 I felt very accomplished. When I first heard my radio show, Easy Does It, on Ohm Radio I felt proud.

5. Do you have a hidden talent?

I love growing and arranging flowers and foraged greenery. My grandmother was an avid and talented arranger of flowers. Giving flowers is my love language.

6. Who or what gives you creative inspiration?

I find creative inspiration in sitting still.

7. Coffee fuels our morning events. If you’re a coffee drinker, what’s your go-to order?

YES! At home we brew coffee provided by my sis in law who owns a fabulous coffee shop in the North Georgia Mountains. I add Laird mushroom creamer and a splash of oat milk. At Redux, we work within dangerous proximity of the Harbinger where my go-to is an oat milk latte.

8. What is your favorite place in Charleston?

I have always loved King Street, the whole way up and down.

9. How do you unwind or de-stress?

Meditation, listening to Ram Dass lectures, yoga, walks, time in nature.

Rapid Fire:

Morning person or night owl? Morning person, for sure!

Summer of winter? Summer

Mountains or beach? Beach

Pancakes or waffles? Pancakes. All the pancakes.

Fiction or non-fiction? Fiction. Lots of it. Hard copy, on Kindle, Audible--gimme, gimme!

#charleston #creativemornings #creatives #redux #sanctuary

Folklore with Tyler Page Wright

Founder of Walk & Talk Charleston, Tyler Page Wright, graduated from the University of Virginia with a BA in History and a secondary focus in Art History. She is a certified guide and a proud member of the Palmetto Guild and Charleston Tour Foundation. A born New Yorker with deep southern roots and island ties, Tyler was drawn to Charleston for its people, its beauty, its history, and its hospitality. We think that may be why you’re here too! Let her show you around the town!

Ripple with Andy Manzi

This March, we’ll hear from Andy Manzi, founder of the Warrior Surf Foundation, on the topic of Ripple. A perfect match, if you ask us.

A little about Andy:

After returning from tours overseas with the USMC, Manzi found myself working through the effects of TBI, PTSD and depression. Through a good friend he was introduced to surfing, and from his first ice cold winter surf, he knew he had discovered something important. Surfing changed his life and helped him to overcome those difficulties. It wasn't long before he knew this was something that other veterans could benefit from, and so they launched their program. Over time it has grown to serve more veterans, but they stay true to their roots - veterans serving veterans.

1. What do you love most about what you do?

I love the fact that every day I work towards making the world a better place. Simple. A million ways we can do it. Choose one. 2. What inspired you and how did you become involved in your current career(s)?

I believed that surfing gave me a chance to live a full life and walk around with a full heart after a tough childhood and a tough war experience. I witnessed many go through a transformation during surf lessons I was teaching on Folly Beach and I was sick of all the clinical bullshit I tried to do to get better. I was tired of so many of our people committing suicide, having issues with the law, and pretty much living shitty lives, etc. I didn't want anyone like me to live in a secret prison in their minds as I did at times. A pill is only the beginning of the end for some. So I was like, screw it- let's get a specialist to helps us provide therapy on the beach and we will give free surf lessons. A lot has happened since. 3. How do you start your day?

My mornings used to be very chaotic, actually really hard for me to find clarity especially with a load of life stuff to knock out every day. Over the past year and a half I've found myself waking before sunrise no matter where I am; just enjoying the quiet, whether it's breathing, surfing, or just sitting with a cup of coffee while looking at the sun. I feel those few hours in the early morning are crucial for your quality of life throughout the day. I'm blessed to have autonomy when it comes to my schedule, so I take a few hours for myself every day in the morning. One of the best options we have in this chaotic life. 4. Tell us about your proudest moment or accomplishment.

I have a lot to be proud of. I've done so much. Tons of accomplishments but honestly the fact I learned to surf decently is truly the greatest accomplishment, because without it the last 12 years of my life would have been very different. *The fact that I'm in the process of passing off this Foundation to someone else** is a huge accomplishment, most NGO's never get there or fail because Founders won't give it up. 5. Do you have a hidden talent?

I uses to think I didn't have any lol, but I actually have a few and they will stay hidden. :) 6. Who or what gives you creative inspiration?

We are all creative in our own ways. Some with paint, others with food, for me this it’s this Foundation. My creative drive comes from wanting to see a change in the world, especially when there is an option to do so. Knowing that people need to be led through experience that propels them forward in a life that they are in control of, and one that they love. 7. Coffee fuels our morning events. If you’re a coffee drinker, what’s your go-to order?

Cold drip all-day 8. What is your favorite place in Charleston?

Honestly, I love Queen Street grocery and the corner it sits on, I call it my secret spot lol. I love sitting there early morning or late afternoon. I love that corner. 9. How do you unwind or de-stress?

Cooking a nice meal alone or with close people, which is probably one of my love languages. Sitting quietly outside by the water. Surf and yoga. Now the guitar, so peaceful. Rapid Fire:

morning person or night owl? morning person

Summer of winter? Quick to say summer but I have to winter because I'm always somewhere beautiful in the winter

Mountains or beach? beach

Pancakes or waffles? waffles

Fiction or non-fiction? non-fiction-- I wish that was opposite

Transit with Megan Mills

TRANSIT WITH MEGAN MILLS

We are so excited to hear from Megan Mills during this month’s virtual event, on the theme of Transit!

Megan is heading up the Friends of the Lowcountry Lowline’s community outreach efforts and was recently hired as the Executive Assistant to the Board of the Friends of the Lowline. Prior to her current position, she was the Community Engagement Manager position at Charleston Parks Conservancy, developing and implementing the Conservancy’s community programming including events and educational programs. She received her bachelor’s degree in communications studies from the College of Charleston. Living in Charleston for the past 14 years, Megan is active in the community volunteering at Picnic in the Park and Compassionate Friends. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis, riding her bike, and spending time with her husband, Eric and their dog, Trout.

Photo by Amaris Photo

The Lowline:

Today, the Lowline is a vision. A vision to reclaim 1.7 miles of abandoned railway track and neglected highway corridor along the backbone of the Charleston Peninsula. A vision to transform this forgotten stretch of urban space into a centralized regional park. The Friends of the Lowcountry Lowline are working alongside the City of Charleston to put together a plan for the space that highlights the surrounding neighborhoods, addresses city-wide flooding, and gives pedestrians and bikers a safe dedicated path. The linear park will have three different “districts” along its route; the urban core, the parks, and the North Central Corridor, each with their own unique characteristics.

Spectrum with Allyson Sutton + Joel Sadler

SPECTRUM WITH ALLYSON SUTTON + JOEL SADLER: 9.18

Allyson Sutton and Joel Sadler are the founders and co-owners of Sightsee, a travel-inspired retail shop + coffee bar nestled in the Elliotborough neighborhood of downtown Charleston.

Sightsee aims to inspire a sense of adventure in everyday life. By blending the energy and community of a cafe with the joy of product discovery, Sightsee introduces you to new finds in a way that breaks traditional retail categorization.

The concept began as a pop-up shop in 2018, making multiple appearances around North and South Carolina. After finding the perfect home at 125 ½ Line Street and gathering tremendous community support through Kickstarter, Sightsee opened its first brick-and-mortar space in September 2019. Since launching, Sightsee has featured 20+ specialty coffee roasters from around the globe, introduced customers to 40+ emerging brands (most of which are sustainable and/or woman-owned), and spotlighted countless local makers and artists through regular events in their space. Most notably, Sightsee is proud to have become a go-to stop for the finest musicians, artists, poets, lawyers, doctors, parents, students, skaters, tinkerers, and business owners in Charleston and beyond.

In addition to running Sightsee, Allyson and Joel are also the co-founders of Huskwell, a specialty cascara importing business, and Playswell & Co., a creative consulting firm.

Photo by Ryan Belk

Underdog with Kate March

UNDERDOG WITH KATE MARCH: 7.24.20

Kate March is a performance artist, painter, poet, and choreographer. With a Bachelor’s in Dance from Connecticut College and a Master’s in Choreography from Middlesex University in London, Kate’s creative practice spans the fine art and commercial realms. She weaves together live performance, visual art, fashion, poetry, and creative technology to produce distinctive experiences and concepts that draw audiences into her outré world.

Described as immersive, provocative, inclusive, and feminist, Kate explores her artistic voice through live painting performance solos where she creates large scale paintings with her body dancing on the canvas. She has performed around the world and in 2019, she was selected as the guest artist for the Eugénio de Almeida Foundation’s Center for Art & Culture in Portugal for their International Festival of Performative Arts.

In addition to her solo work, Kate is the founder and creative director of MARCH : an art house dedicated to making edgy, inclusive, and experiential art for diverse audiences; a metaphysical home for feminist creativity. Her poetry collection: Thirst of Pisces, will be published in February 2021.

Photo by Amaris Photography

1. What do you love most about what you do?

I love having the opportunity to inspire, connect with, and move other people by using my artistic voice. When someone feels a strong emotion because of my painting, my poetry, or my movement expression — I feel like I have fulfilled my life purpose.

2. What inspired you and how did you become involved in your current career(s)?

I’m 35 and have been dancing since I was 3 years old. I was naturally very good and was supported from a young age to really take dance/performance seriously. I can’t really remember a time where art wasn’t a strong aspect of my life. But I do remember choosing between a path in dance or neuroscience in senior year of college and knowing that I had to try the path of being an artist or I would regret it forever. The different iterations of my career path have been inspired by intuitive choices and honoring my creativity no matter how much uncertainty was involved.

3. How do you start your day?

I’m not a morning person so I can’t start working right away. I have a cup of coffee, big breakfast, and take my dog on an hour long walk before I do anything else.

4. Tell us about your proudest moment or accomplishment.

In the context of my career: I have so many proud moments; I’ll give you three. The first of my proudest moments was the successful execution of one of my evening length immersive dining concepts: An Evening of Meat, in London, England for 55 shows. It’s a huge undertaking to successfully produce that many shows and consistently receive positive feedback from a wide audience. My whole team and I really put in so much work to make it one of the best performance concepts I’ve ever created. Secondly, I have had the privilege of performing for so many wonderful audiences including celebrities but one of the most memorable was when I performed for Leonardo DiCaprio in the Maldives for a private event. Thirdly, this year I received a publication offer for my poetry manuscript: Thirst of Pisces which will make its debut next year in February!

Photo by Amaris Photography

5. Do you have a hidden talent?

I can run backwards really, really fast. Probably faster than some people sprint in a forward direction lol.

6. Who or what gives you creative inspiration?

Being in nature is my greatest inspiration especially very remote places where you can’t but feel humbled. I also find inspiration when I’m travelling around the world and discovering new places, cultures, traditions, foods, and rituals (or when I used to travel I mean, thanks Covid-19!). Finally, my body and it’s many cycles of wellness or pain has been a constant source of inspiration.

I’m also inspired by people I would consider renaissance men and women — people who follow their natural curiosity, are always trying to innovate in their fields, and aren’t afraid to look at the universe’s mystery with awe and exploration. (Think Albert Einstein for example - an incredible scientist who also appreciated and valued humanity from all angles including music, art, spirituality, and matters of the heart. I love finding people like this throughout history and being inspired by the connective web of their many interests.)

7. Coffee fuels our morning events. If you’re a coffee drinker, what’s your go-to order?

Medium Skim latte — pretty boring, but gets the job done!

8. What is your favorite place in Charleston?

Folly Beach at sunset or early morning.

9. How do you unwind or de-stress?

True Crime podcasts; reading a ton of books; and having a glass of biodynamic wine with my husband on our porch.

Rapid Fire:

Morning person or night owl?

Night owl

Summer of winter?

Autumn

Mountains or beach?

Beach

Pancakes or waffles?

Pancakes

Fiction or non-fiction?

Both

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