Check out our CMVB Flickr page for all the event photos from last Friday: CMVB September 2024: Reflection with Ed Obermeyer | Flickr. Thanks to Misty Saves the Day for the amazing photos!
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How Barry Clark’s RITUALS Help Build a Community
“That Tuesday night run became more than exercise—it became a ritual of connection.”
When Barry Clark stands in front of a crowd, it’s usually to yell directions and encouragement, but on this sunny Friday morning in The Garage, the local multi-hyphenate creative and entrepreneur stood in front of our chapter’s largest crowd speaking into a mic to share how RITUALS, big and small, became the cornerstones of his life and unexpectedly set the pace for a new community to emerge.
Growing up in nearby Suffolk, Barry always felt a calling to Virginia Beach, but he could’ve never predicted that one day the city’s mayor would proclaim an official day for the community he has led since 2016, nor that he would be recognized with WTKR’s “People Taking Action Award.”
Before dashing to his standing as a beloved community leader, Barry was immersed in a variety of creative pursuits – from serving as Creative Director for the Virginia-based apparel brand Born Primitive and having a brief stint as a woodworker to lending his graphic design skills to a variety of business to DJ’ing across venues in Virginia Beach for more than a decade.
Running was not yet on Barry’s multifaceted portfolio, but a desire to start a healthy habit and get outside led him to sprint into a newfound passion. His wellness ritual would soon become a community movement in itself. The goal was “to exercise a healthy body and mind while exploring our city.” Today, Barry has run two full marathons, served as an ambassador for various athletic brands and North End Run Club, which began in 2016, with just a handful of people joining Barry on an outdoor run, now brings together more than 250-500 runners weekly.
At North End Run Club’s weekly runs, people of all ages, genders and backgrounds reach the finish line at their own pace but always, always, celebrate together, waiting until the very last runner comes in, inclusivity a tenet of Barry’s philosophy. Also guiding his approach to North End Run Club’s inspiring growth is the simple act of showing up. “Just one hour spent in community has the power to turn the day around,” Barry shares, acknowledging the impact of accountability.
“I thrive when I bring people together, he adds. And has he ever! To date, North End Run Club has organized food drives to stock up local pantries, donated hundreds of hygiene kits and clothes to the unhoused, supported local businesses through ongoing partnerships and been the single largest private donor of toys for CHKD’s annual holiday toy drive.
With the Mayor of Virginia Beach having proclaimed April 16 “North End Run Club Day,” what began as a personal wellness ritual has cemented a legacy of health, connection and community. It’s not lost on Barry that this simple ritual, once a small one at that, has sparked a community in itself and made him a community leader, a role he says is one of his proudest achievements.
Drawing from his experience of having transformed a small ritual into a community movement, Barry encouraged the audience to incorporate rituals into our everyday life: begin with intention, follow your why, explain and set expectations, invite people to join you, and acknowledge those who participate. The notion, Barry says, is quite simple: rituals provide us with a sense of belonging and connection, and even the smallest ones have the power to transform us.
Closing out our gathering, Barry left us with some words that I’ve no doubt many of us quickly jotted down in our journals and will be reflecting on for many weeks to come:
“Rituals—no matter how small or simple—hold the power to transform both individuals and communities. It’s not just about the act itself but about the intention behind it, the consistency with which we commit to it and the connections we build along the way. Whether you’re starting a new ritual or joining an existing one, remember that showing up is half the battle. The other half is what you bring to it—your energy, your passion and your willingness to grow with others.”
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Written by CMVB volunteer blogger Valeria L. Palmertree
Join us every third Friday in 2024 as we explore, along with 236 other cities in 69 countries around the world, 12 new themes in a face-to-face community format. Past themes have included Rhythm, Endurance, Simplicity, Pride and Treasure. September’s theme is REFLECTION, and our speaker will be Ed Obermeyer.
CM also has virtual field trips and a database of previous talks to enjoy and explore at home.
Find all the photos from CMVB August 2024 online at Flickr: CMVB August 2024: Ritual with Barry Clark | Flickr. Special thanks to Misty Saves the Day photographer Sandy for helping us capture this event!
Multifaceted Artist BJ Griffin Dives Deep into TRUST
“It takes a deep dive inward to find trust – and to find yourself.”
Sunshine wasn’t the only thing that flooded The Garage on a Friday morning; more than 50 guests – our largest crowd yet! – showed up for the July 19 gathering to hear how multifaceted artist and beloved local creative BJ Griffin dives deep into TRUST to find stillness.
The acclaimed musician, who recently returned to Virginia Beach from traveling the world following his appearance on America’s Got Talent, kicked off the morning with a stunning acapella performance of “Hold On,” citing music as his go-to ice breaker.
A self-proclaimed rambunctious kid with a lot of energy, the Detroit native first experienced a moment of stillness during a family excursion on the Maid of the Mist in Niagara Falls, where BJ says he felt attuned with his inner quiet. Just a year later, in the fifth grade, he picked up his family’s violin (an heirloom that has been passed down for generations) and, for the first time, felt that same sense of calm. Music would thus set the stage for BJ’s journey, but following its rhythm would prove to take formidable trust.
BJ went on to play violin and cello in Virginia Beach public schools and became actively involved with the Virginia Youth Symphony Orchestra, with which he performed across the world. At James Madison University, BJ studied music education, cello performance and the music industry, and began his singing career with Exit 245, an acapella group. Back in Virginia Beach, BJ co-founded Galaxy Music, a private music school, and cemented himself as an acclaimed performer and local community legend with his band, BJ Griffin and the Galaxy Groove.
Despite putting on his best “show face” and powering through a busy performance schedule that included opening for the likes of Lionel Richie and Lauryn Hill, however, BJ began to feel ill – and he was eventually diagnosed with a rare form of kidney cancer. This unexpected diagnosis and its subsequent treatment would lead to a struggle with anxiety and depression. Calling the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (988) was “a turning point” that led him to seek therapy and take a deeper look at himself.
Music, BJ says, has always felt like a meditation, but he never imagined he’d find an even greater sense of stillness deep in the water. To discover that, he would need to trust the process, however unexpected.
It was a trip to Devil’s Den, a prehistoric spring in Florida, in 2019 that set BJ on an unexpected journey as an avid freediver. Being in the water, he says, was “a magical experience; it felt like home.” Using a GoPro gifted to him by his supportive parents, BJ began filming his dives – ultimately going viral on social media and powerfully challenging stereotypes as a black and plus-sized diver, an opportunity that has provided him with an even greater personal purpose.
In the water, focused solely on his breath – which he can hold for an impressive 3.5 minutes and an act which in itself takes a big amount of trust – BJ says he has encountered the deepest parts of himself. It’s this same sense of presence and stillness that BJ actively integrates into his daily life.
Last year, before taking the stage for his America’s Got Talent audition in front of the show’s celebrity judges, BJ had a panic attack, not something he’s used to experiencing before a performance. With just minutes to spare, he retreated to one of his favorite underwater spots in his mind, taking “a mental dive” to still himself and get back in the moment. It worked; he received four resounding yeses from the judges!
While BJ didn’t advance to the semifinals, the heightened attention provided him with the opportunity to perform for audiences across the world, sharing with them not only his musical prowess but also his message of gratitude, stillness and healing. He is confident, more than ever, that his value comes not from the validation of an audience but for the greater purpose he has identified for himself. He wants people to know that no matter where they are in their journey, they are perfect just as they are – much like a rose is beautiful, from bud to bloom.
After traveling the world over, BJ has returned to Virginia Beach seeking balance and community, things that are not only integral to his well-being but also to his creativity. For these things – and this moment – he is infinitely grateful listen to BJ’s “Daily Gratitude” playlist here: www.bjgriffinmusic.com/daily-gratitude
Leveraging his multiple platforms and talents, BJ hopes to continue to spread his message of self-love to inspire and uplift others. He concluded his talk on this sunny Virginia Beach morning with three powerful mantras:
I am worthy because I exist.
I trust the journey to find the light.
Namaste: The light in me recognizes the light in you.
It’s now on us to say them, repeat them and trust them to be so. Namaste, BJ.
Written by CMVB volunteer blogger Valeria L. Palmertree
From Canvas to Cakes, Paige Welch loves PATTERN!
“I think life happens in patterns, and we learn to navigate them with time. Looking back, it has always been patterns that have brought me back to my center.”
It seems fitting that the first Creative Mornings VB summer gathering, held on June 21 in The Garage, would take place on the first Friday of the season – and even more so that it would be colored brightly by Paige Welch’s inspiring story of rebellion, reckoning and resilience.
For as long as she can remember, Paige’s life has been set to a PATTERN of high-lows and low-highs that have ushered her journey of creativity and self-discovery. Born and raised in Virginia Beach, the self-proclaimed rebel never quite felt she fit in. What first began as a way to focus in class, her doodles-filled sketchbook became a tool that would empower her to get through far more than school. In art, she found a trusted escape. At 16, a t-shirt she intricately hand-painted with some hastily purchased supplies from Michael’s became her first entrepreneurial pursuit, selling thousands of shirts to friends, family and beyond. Free-hand drawings would become her specialty and pen, ink and acrylic paint her go-to mediums.
Paige’s momentum, however, came to a startling halt during a series of low points over several years of struggle. “With alcohol and drugs, I was unraveling,” she vulnerably shared to an audience of more than 30 attendees. By the time she was 20, she had spent time in juvenile detention, been under house arrest and gone to rehab after a near-death overdose experience.
It was this experience that set her on a course to rediscover herself, becoming sober and weaning herself off of all antidepressants and other medication – but it would be another powerful experience altogether that would chart her most powerful chapter.
At 21, Paige welcomed her son, Wesley. Motherhood, she says, changed everything. “I had needed something bigger than myself, a greater purpose, and now I’d found it.” Immersing herself in all things health and wellness and taking care of her mind, body and spirit, Paige would find her next creative outlet in the culinary arts.
A no-bake cheesecake she baked for Wesley’s first birthday planted the seed for what would ultimately become Empowered Plant Cakes (and, coming soon, Empowered Desserts), a plant-based cake company that recently celebrated five successful years in business.
This entrepreneurial milestone has brought Paige a newfound perspective and the opportunity to continue to dig even deeper into herself. Taking a proactive pause to reflect on her business, her personal life (which now also includes her husband of two years, Gene, and the balance between the two, Paige is also reconnecting with art and with the joy of creating.
Paige’s tenacity and authenticity left us all feeling inspired and empowered and further reminded us that the only way to show up anywhere is as ourselves.
“Life is short, and I want to live mine in a way that feels good and true to me, so I’m pausing business operations momentarily to bring creativity back into my life and rediscover what makes me happiest.”
Needless to say, we are all wishing Paige well as she paints this new chapter, which will no doubt be colorful and bold and full of pattern.
Blog by CMVB volunteer blogger Val Palmertree
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Join us every third Friday in 2024 as we explore, along with 236 other cities in 69 countries around the world, 12 new themes in a face-to-face community format. Past themes have included Rhythm, Endurance, Simplicity, Pride and Treasure. July’s theme is TRUST, and our speaker will be local musician BJ Griffin.
CM also has virtual field trips and a database of previous talks to enjoy and explore at home.
Accomplished singer, songwriter and entrepreneur,
Nakia Madry-Smith, lives VIBRANT!
“Your gift is not for you. It’s not doing anyone any favors gathering dust in your closet.”
On an otherwise cloudy Virginia Beach morning, Nakia Madry-Smith championed creativity and confidence – encouraging a dozen attendees at our May 17 Creative Mornings VB gathering, hosted in The Garage, to share their gifts openly.
But standing up before a crowd of fellow creatives to share her own gifts didn’t come easily. “I am sweating!” Nakia admitted, acknowledging that networking is often the hardest thing for creatives to do. Believing that one’s gift is a responsibility, however, Nakia effervescently shared where and when she feels most VIBRANT.
Nakia has always felt most lively when surrounded by music. A preacher’s daughter, she first found her voice in the church choir. As the only Black girl in an all-white school in Connecticut, she was heavily influenced by the likes of Nirvana and No Doubt and felt most comfortable in combat boots. Music was something she felt she not only wanted to pursue but also needed to.
Inspired by her father to “dream big” and reminded by her mother to “make sure you also get a job,” Nakia set her sights on earning her music engineering technology degree from Hampton University, a place she had only heard about but one that seemed like it was where she belonged. Yet, the transition proved challenging, as Nakia struggled to fit in.
Eventually, she was reminded of her purpose and made a choice. “Being vibrant and being happy is a daily choice. That’s a perspective that came with time, with maturity,” Nakia reminisced.
Becoming the lead singer of The Fuzz Band, a fusion of Funk, Jazz and Soul, allowed Nakia to figure out who she was, creatively and personally. The best, as they say, was yet to come. Nakia would go on to perform across the country and internationally, perform at private functions for Tommy Hilfiger, and serve on three USO tours to the Middle East, Europe, and the Mediterranean.
Every day since joining The Fuzz Band has provided Nakia with the opportunity to be exactly who she wants to be. This includes being the creator and bandleader of Rocky 7, all while serving as Executive Director of three Regional Higher Education Centers at Old Dominion University, where she has had a 14-year tenure and earned her MBA.
And these opportunities are not ones Nakia takes for granted. In fact, she considers gratitude one of the surest ways to feel VIBRANT. The others? Daily affirmations! Every morning, Nakia tells herself who she is – and who she will be: “I am a Grammy-winning, multi-platinum singer-songwriter… I won’t bore you with the whole thing, but you get it. Don’t allow the fear of success to hold you back. When you find the thing that brings you joy, make space for it.”
And that she has! Nakia’s vibrant career has also included opening for Living Colour and performing on The Stephen Colbert Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, BET, and Good Morning America as a member of Pharrell Williams’s Voices of Fire gospel choir, an experience she considers “the craziest thing I’ve ever done!”
Ultimately, Nakia believes that whether we accomplish our dreams is entirely up to us. “Don’t miss your moment. Take the leap of faith. The only time you fall fail is when you don’t try.”
No doubt we all left feeling more empowered after hearing from Nakia. I imagine many of us woke up the next morning reciting an affirmation to ourselves, too.
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Join us every third Friday in 2024 as we explore, along with 236 other cities in 69 countries around the world, 12 new themes in a face-to-face community format. Past themes have included Rhythm, Endurance, Simplicity, Pride, and Treasure. June’s theme is Pattern, and our speaker will be Empowered Plant Cakes’ artisan baker / owner Paige Welch of Virginia Beach.
CM also has virtual field trips and a database of previous talks to enjoy and explore at home.
-Blog by volunteer Valeria L. Palmertree
Special thanks to Local Latin American community leaders, Ana Castellanos & Olga Torres Baker, for sharing how their SPICY cultural roots influence their lives and commitment to the Spanish-speaking population in Virginia Beach!
Check the events page for the April 19: SPICY talk featuring local Latin American community leaders, Ana Castellanos & Olga Torres Baker, who will share life lessons and how their SPICY cultural roots influence their lives and commitment to the Spanish-speaking population in Virginia Beach.
Hope to see you there!
Remaining authentic to your cultural roots leads to a SPICY life | CreativeMornings/Virginia Beach
Flikr photos: Bird’s Eye View: Perspective of Drone Photographer Jimmy Olivero Mar 2024 | Flickr
Facebook Photo Album: Facebook
Special thanks to volunteer photographer and aritst Rachel Jaffe for these great images from 3.15.2024!
Bird’s Eye View: Perspective of Drone Photographer Jimmy Olivero
Mar 15, 2024 • 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM EDT • The Garage VB
FREE AND OPEN TO ALL. Please RSVP to save your seat.
FREE Parking at Hearth 605 Virginia Beach Boulevard across the street from The Garage VB event space. Light refreshments provided. Come network with your creative community.
This event is support in part by grants to the ViBe Creative District nonprofit from Virginia Commission for the Arts, NEA Arts and the Virginia Beach Arts & Humanities Commission. Grant funding pays for the professional videography of the event.
About the speaker
Jimmy Olivero – Founder and Chief Pilot of LYFTED MEDIA. Born and raised in NYC Jimmy took his love for film to the next level by taking a startup remote control aerial cinematography company in 2005 and turning it into a national brand with offices in LA, Miami and NYC. Long before the “drone craze” Jimmy and SkyCamUsa Founder David Quinones were piloting missions for Hollywood and major TV networks.
Jimmy has since formed his own drone venture in 2017, LYFTED MEDIA kept his company at the forefront of all new drone technology and drone laws in the US. He has personally flown missions for National Geographic, NBC Nightly News, The Today Show, Google and Reality TV Shows across the country. Jimmy lives in Virginia Beach, VA with his wife, children and 2 dogs and is currently working on a personal projects about the oyster regions in Virginia.
