On Creative Practice: Shannon Downey (Badass Cross Stitch) and Megy Karydes

Join us for a conversation with Shannon Downey, aka Badass Cross Stitch, author of Let’s Move the Needle, and Megy Karydes, author of 50 Ways to More Calm, Less Stress, to discuss how art can be a powerful practice for healing, advocacy, activism, mental health and wellness.
Following the hour-long conversation will be an opportunity to get crafty with a hands-on embroidery activity. Materials will be provided. No experience necessary. Books will also be available for sale.

Shannon Downey, aka Badass Cross Stitch, is an artist, activist, craftivist, community builder, and general instigator. She moves people from passive consumers of art into engaged creators. Shannon leverages craft-based art forms to bring people together and offers them opportunities to transition from makers to change makers. Her work is about telling the truth and confronting harsh realities while simultaneously inspiring radical hope and a vision for what is possible.

Megy Karydes is a Chicago-based writer, author, book coach, and communications professional. She helps mission-driven leaders and organizations tell stories that matter. She’s written for outlets including the New York Times, Architectural Digest, USA Today, National Geographic, and more, and works with non-profit organizations as a marketing and communications consultant. She teaches graduate-level communications courses at Johns Hopkins University.

Image courtesy of Shannon Downey.

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