This is the second in my series of conversations with artist friends where we get to dig a little bit deeper into our own work, reflect on our journeys, and hopefully share something useful. Find the first one here.

SEE MORE PERSPECTIVE is someone I’ve worked with for almost 20 years—sometimes directly via collaboration, and sometimes just “in orbit” with one another, focusing on separate projects while still being in conversation. An emcee, poet, producer, visual artist, filmmaker, educator, and more, they’re one of the most talented and inspiring people I know. Like many of our collaborations, this conversation took place over the course of literally years—but I think that ends up working in its favor, in that we get to touch on a number of really cool projects that may have flown under your radar. I’ll sprinkle bandcamp links throughout this.

One last note – our new collaborative endeavor is SECRET RIVERS, and we’ll be performing live on Wednesday, July 23 at Silverwood Park – 6:30pm, free, all-ages, outdoors! We’ll also be joined by yet another SEE MORE PERSPECTIVE project: their collaboration with Kat Parent, SkySpiders & the Imperceptible Web.

New year, new administration, new challenges (on top of the challenges that remain)… as always, I am interested in exploring the role(s) of artists in this historical moment.

It’s easy to fall back on platitudes like “we speak truth to power” or “we cultivate imagination” or “we plant seeds.” Those statements are all true! But what do they actually look like in practice? What are some specific tools and tactics for not just doing that work, but doing it effectively?

And when it comes to the idea of “planting seeds,” how might we go beyond scattering wildflower seeds as we skip on our own through the meadow, and instead work together to plant crops that might feed a community?

This post is the first in a series sharing some thoughts, questions, and ideas related to those questions. I thought I’d start with a writing challenge, since I am connected to so many poets and songwriters. While I regularly facilitate workshops and classes on creative writing, I generally don’t share a lot of formal writing prompts. For people looking for prompts, I often recommend Ollie Schminkey, or Ariana Brown, or Tish Jones, or this big online database. That being said, I’ve got one to share today.

A WRITING PROMPT: Read ReFrame’s 2025 Narrative Predictions resource

That’s basically the prompt, haha. This whole post is really just an excuse to point people in that direction. That link shares six big predictions for the year ahead, and those predictions are made up of over 50 “narratives at play,” stories (some positive, some harmful) that live underneath our beliefs and values. Toward the bottom of the page, ReFrame also shares six “narrative openings” that, along with everything else in the link, are the best writing prompts I can think of—they’re seeds that could grow into countless poems, songs, and beyond.

I get that this is a non-traditional prompt. It’s really just about lifting up the idea that culture workers can take an active, intentional role in shaping narratives; identifying which ones are especially present in the air right now can be a useful start. Below, I’ll share a few points to keep in mind for the writing itself, plus a few examples of what this work can look like. As always, I’m about tools, not rules; nothing here is a set-in-stone directive—just stuff to think about.