Meet Five Amazing Local Creatives in Five Minutes
We’re tweaking The Biscuit recipe. Tell us about your taste.About April, all we can say is … WOW. That was a busy month. From Charlotte SHOUT! to the return of BOOM Charlotte to lots and lots of planning for future events (there’s so much in store, y’all), creativity was on display in every corner of the Queen City. It was awesome. And, we’re a little exhausted from trying to keep up with it. It seems like a good time to take stock and catch our breath for just a sec. So, after producing nearly 250 consecutive batches of The Biscuit, we’re going to take two weeks off from baking. That will give all of us at Charlotte Is Creative (and our writers) a chance to catch our breath, take a look at the more than 1,100 articles we’ve published over the past three years and adjust the recipe a little bit. And, that’s where you come in. We’d love to hear your thoughts. If you would be so kind as to give us a few minutes, we’d love to get your perspective: - Have you read The Biscuit? (If not, what would compel you to read it?)
- What do you love about The Biscuit?
- What would you love to see changed?
- What kind of content would you like more of?
- What kind of content do you not enjoy as much?
- How can we help you with your creative journey or career in Charlotte?
If you have some opinions you’d like to share, please drop us a line right here. Don’t worry. We’re not leaving the kitchen. We’re just giving the cooks a short break. We’re still hard at work in the creative community, and we can’t wait to hear from you.
And, in the meantime, enjoy this recipe for biscuits from our buddy, Chef Peter Reinhart. All good things, Tim Miner & Matt Olin
Charlotte Is Creative 
MEET FIVE QUEEN CITY CREATIVESBefore we head out on our short hiatus, we want to introduce you to five local creatives. They excite us. And, we know you’ll like them, too. Follow them. Love on them. Share them with others. Hire them. 
DORIAN WILLIAMS
Visual Artist/Street Artist/Creative Community OrganizerDorian Williams took a different path in Charlotte. Having lived here for three years, he recently changed career paths to work on his art full-time. A visual artist, Williams works mostly in spray paint (and occasionally acrylic). He draws inspiration from pop culture references and the cartoons he loved as a child. Where have we seen Williams lately?
He just won Southern Tiger Collective’s fourth annual Battle Walls mural competition. And, he painted this mural in Victoria Yards as part of “Spray Jam” at Charlotte SHOUT! What does Charlotte need to do to support creatives who live and work here?
“There have been steps towards support (Talking Walls, Charlotte SHOUT!) but more artist invitationals such as this need to continue to allow more artists to come out and show their potential.” What are the greatest challenges facing your creative career in Charlotte right now?
“Currently, my biggest challenge is resources; I have project ideas to get the community involved artistically around Charlotte, but lack the space, and funds to do so.” FOLLOW WILLIAMS 
JUSTIN HICKS
Creative Community OrganizerA talented, full-time illustrator, film producer and visual storyteller, Justin Hicks has a passion for supporting local creatives and sparking conversation through impact-driven work. Hicks is a founder of Edit N’ Chill, a group that hosts events designed to encourage collaboration and vulnerability among creatives. Where have we seen Hicks lately?
Hicks was awarded an April 2022 HUG mico-grant for a future art exhibition documenting the stories of residents of Charlotte’s historic (and destroyed) Brooklyn community. On April 22, Hicks launched the Makers & Creators Mixer with artist Makayla Binter. Tell us about Charlotte’s creative community.
“In the past six years, the creative community within Charlotte has grown so much. While providing creatives with more opportunities to build, I believe there can be more intentional engagement between institutions and underserved communities.” What are the greatest challenges facing your creative career in Charlotte right now?
“A challenge that I have dealt with in the past has been navigating both business and my artistry. There has been no road map for how to properly conduct business through my work. I have had to learn as I go.” “Many incredible artists and designers that I have worked with have come up with some groundbreaking ideas, but have had to go through hurdles to find opportunities for resources.” FOLLOW HICKS 
SAMIA JARAMILLO
Visual ArtistSince moving to Charlotte six years ago, Samia Jaramillo has built her reputation as an artist working in watercolor and acrylic. She said she doesn’t have a specific style but enjoys experimenting with a variety of techniques, materials and sizes of work. Where have we seen Jaramillo lately?
Jaramillo created one of the 12 “Easter Eggs on Parade” installed for 17 days during Charlotte SHOUT! 2022. Tell us about Charlotte’s creative community.
“Charlotte has a large creative community with strong participation in different activities, is diverse and engaged with the city’s development.” What are the greatest challenges facing your creative career in Charlotte right now?
“I don’t have an art background and have a full-time job, so I would like to be able to find more opportunities and learn how to show my artwork and participate in more activities.” FOLLOW JARAMILLA 
HXNCHO? DA DON
Visual ArtistBorn and bred in Charlotte, hxncho? da don recently burst onto the local art scene as a full-time creative working in fashion design, visual arts and street art. His passion is creative “paintings of life and culture in a euphoric abstract way.” Where have we seen hxncho? lately?
Like Dorian Williams, hxncho? was tapped to paint a new mural on a cargo container at Victoria Yards as part of Charlotte SHOUT! Tell us about Charlotte’s creative community.
“[I’m] fairly new to the art community, but so far there are so many nice creatives and so many connections that I can dip into, but also it’s fairly small.” What does Charlotte need to do to support creatives who live and work here?
“Growing up here, I see that Charlotte is too tamed. The people of Charlotte need to be more hip with the culture and arts here. We need more support with press and a strong community of artists where anyone can come for help or be a part of something big.” FOLLOW HXNCHO? 
NAN GRAY
Visual ArtistPart-time artist Nan Gray has lived in Charlotte for 30 years, but she started painting just two years ago. She’s already making her mark on the local creative scene. About her work, she says, “Color is my jam! I love mixing and finding new shades of blues, pinks and greens. I navigate toward big and bold … sort of like my life.” Where have we seen Gray lately?
Gray held her second annual art sale and open house in late April and she has art for sale now at The Grinning Mule, Loyalist Market, Red Rocks Cafe and Bohemian Wine Bar. Tell us about Charlotte’s creative community.
“It’s wonderful, supportive and alive! I feel so grateful to be in an art-supported community like Charlotte.” What does Charlotte need to do to support creatives who live and work here?
“Help us find grants and funding. Help us navigate into galleries and (learn) how to negotiate with them. Get our art out there to the masses.” FOLLOW GRAY WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM SHARE YOUR STORYIf you want to be considered to be profiled here and/or on our website or The Biscuit, take a few minutes and tell us about yourself at CLTCreativeProfile.com 
Finance In the Shadows
By Amy Jacobs – Common Wealth Charlotte“I don’t know. 20%? 30%?”
“That’s the answer I hear most when I ask people, ‘What is the highest APR (annual percentage rate) a predatory lender can charge?’” says Chuck Jones, executive director of Common Wealth Charlotte. “Unfortunately, when it comes to APR, perception and reality are very far apart.” “The truth is we see predatory loans with effective APRs of 300% and above.” How can this be? Let’s face it. We all experience unexpected expenses. It may be that we didn’t estimate correctly. It may be that the expenses fell out of the sky. Either way, we have to deal with them. Click the button below for some strategies from Common Wealth Charlotte on how to avoid the dangers of payday loans and predatory lending. 
Coffee With CreativesNothing sparks conversation and creativity quite like caffeine. That’s why Charlotte Is Creative (publishers of The Biscuit) launched Coffee with Creatives, a new (and casual) monthly meet-up. The first one was held at The Madison Perk on April 27. If you’re interested in attending the next meet up on May 18 (at a coffee shop yet to be named). Here’s how it works: - On May 9, we’ll post about the event at @CLTisCreative on Instagram
- If you can attend from 10 to 11 a.m. on May 18, put your name in the comments.
- On May 11, we’ll put all the names we have in an online randomizer and pick 10 to 12 creatives to join us.
- If you’re one of those selected, we’ll tell you where to meet us and we’ll pay for your first morning beverage.
[PLEASE NOTE: We are not selecting from nominations. We want to make sure that all who we select are available to attend on May 18.] If the first meet-up was any indication, Coffee with Creatives will serve up great conversation, new friends and (hopefully) opportunities for collaboration. Here’s who we met on April 27 [pictured above left to right]:
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