 By Alicia Brown Khaiim Kelly, better known as RapOet, does it all—he is a creativity and culture teacher, poet, artist, inspirational public speaker and even Hartford’s first city troubadour. In all he does, his community-minded spirit and exceptional talent leads the way. Originally from New York City but now with deep roots in Hartford, Connecticut, Kelly is an international Hip-Hop artist known as Self Suffice. He has performed around the world with Pulitzer Prize poet Alice Walker and Grammy-winning MC Common and his positive use of rap music has been recognized by former President Obama’s Champions of Change, The New York Times, NPR and others.
The arts have always been a central part of Kelly’s life. As a child, he rapped in a way that he self-describes as “just sounds and noises” that eventually became words, then sentences that flowed into structure, timing and something more. This evolution of using words as powerful tools for learning in new ways has fueled Kelly’s mission. He loves making the mundane interesting, and helping his students transform challenges into understandable, consumable art. “It isn’t the conscious, it’s the subconscious that makes it interesting,” he shared. “I take something people should know about and make it fun.” Kelly fights for peace with words and lyrics and brings that passion to the classroom at colleges including Yale, Trinity and other arts programs across the globe. In a welcomed yet somewhat unconventional way, Kelly uses Hip-Hop to help students grasp concepts in a fun and engaging way. Central to his highly in-demand RapOetry Workshop and Rap ‘n Rhythmetic lessons “are alignment, access, and integration,” as he puts it. In other words, when the RapOet is invited to instruct or perform, participants can expect to be enlightened.  “It isn’t the conscious, it’s the subconscious that makes it interesting. I take something people should know about and make it fun.”
He teaches with his whole body and soul—something that’s evident to anyone who has had a chance to sit in on a class or be in his audience. RapOet’s MIFT program—which stands for “Making it Full Time” helps artists and creatives get that “extra fuel for their rocket” as he describes, to remind them of the power of art in and of itself. A coaching program built for artists by artists, it focuses on turning “what you love to do into what you actually do for work”—words Kelly certainly lives by. Among the many creative talents he shares with the world, Kelly also designs clothing and merchandise, which are available on his website. His favorite? Not surprisingly, his “Black history is the root of all history” gear. In all he does, Kelly leaves an impressionable mark. While he could have chosen many paths and taken opportunities presented to him that would further his personal success at the expense of pushing positive rap aside, he has dedicated his life to bettering the world through the art of positive rap and poetry—he’s a true change-maker. Find RapOet on Instagram, Facebook or his website. Kelly is available for speaking engagements, performances and workshops. BROWSE THE SHOPBLACKCT DIRECTORY:
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 Photos courtesy of Joy Monroe By Alicia Brown Joy Monroe began creating art at the young age of four. She originally pursued a creative career in elegant cuisine as a chef, eventually joining up with a group of artists in 2011 called Connecticut Arts Initiative, where many more of her creative visions were birthed. In the years that followed, Monroe’s focus on her art became more prominent. She was offered a position as a dancer, where she learned about production work and was introduced to the art of body painting. It was then that she knew she wanted to be involved with big productions by painting and creating something new—creativity was ignited inside of her. Monroe has since participated in the International Body Art Competition, one of her favorite events.  “What we go through, it’s life. We are the art. We are what we envision.
“Nobody is judging each other, and everyone feels good about their bodies,” she shared. “It’s a room full of artists making art and it’s all about storytelling—I’m a storyteller, period. I love to tell a story through my art. I want people to understand what life is all about.” Using art as an avenue for storytelling is magical, and Monroe hopes her art helps people paint vivid pictures in their minds, to be inspired by life. “What we go through, it’s life,” she explained. “We are the art. We are what we envision. Creation is being creative.”  Monroe’s dreams of growing her art career became realized when she was able to purchase her own space. Her business, Joy of Life Creations, was born and is located at 3580 Main Street, Building 11 in Hartford, Connecticut. And, her dreams continue to grow. Monroe wants to help other artists pursue their dreams by offering studio rental space. She’s working toward this goal by sharing her expertise in body art with local students and providing internship opportunities. Monroe also focuses on promoting body positivity through her art, giving back to her community by painting murals to support the arts and movements like Black Lives Matter, and holding summer art camps for kids. This past summer, she and students from area schools beautified Bushnell Park by painting trash cans so passers by had something nice to view as they strolled through the park.
She’s also been working hard to put together a calendar to showcase all of her artistic bodywork from the past year. With everything she does, Monroe wants to challenge people to see the world in a unique way. “You might see a bottle cap and say, oh wait, I can turn this into an earring,” she shared. “Art is about putting it out there so someone can see something different.” For Monroe, she simply wants everyone to see the joy in life. Follow Joy of Life Creations on Facebook or visit her at her studio. She’ll be sure to inspire you with her passion, creativity and innovation with everything she does.
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 By Lajeune Hollis Let’s face it, there is a kid in each and every one of us. The Art Child, a travel- based and online program for kids of all ages, recognizes that. Its mission, according to founder Ms. Alicia Brown, a certified therapeutic art life coach, is “to offer programs to let kids be kids, show their emotions along with helping them control them.” I wondered, how did this business start? According to Ms. Alicia, her business began as showcase of her art, and she was selling cards, canvases and more. “I switched when I realized most of my work was targeted to kids and people who enjoyed abstract art,” she shared. At the time, she was in school studying child psychology with art therapy as her career. She got her certification in Therapeutic Art Life Coaching, which combined her love of working with children and her passion for art. And so, The Art Child was born.
In partnership with Sawyer, an online provider of children’s classes and activities with a mission “to inspire a love of learning through play and exploration,” The Art Child offers programs for children ages two and up, teens and adults. Ms. Alicia tailors each class to the individual person, or collectively for groups. Class fees are per person or by group, and can be made via Cashapp, Venmo, PayPal, Square or Apple Pay. “It's important to me because there are so many children without creative outlets, and art programs seem to be the first things cut,” she shared. “We are trying to stop that, and showcase that art is extremely important for anyone. If we want well-rounded adults, we need to start with the kids. We need to find ways to give them a sense of self, and expression.” Residents of Connecticut can hire Ms. Alicia to come directly to their church, home, school or daycare to hold a therapeutic art class. All art supplies and snacks are provided at no extra cost. And, social distancing rules are in place during the pandemic to ensure all attending are safe. One challenge she has faced is getting The Art Child name out there. “I have a select few promoters and have been working with local businesses to hold art events, but due to COVID-19, the turnouts are always small,” she shared. “Hopefully, going forward, we can change that.”  "If we want well-rounded adults, we need to start with the kids. We need to find ways to give them a sense of self, and expression.”
Because of the pandemic, The Art Child is now also offering online children’s classes for free on Friday and Sunday evenings at 7:00pm. Children from anywhere across the United States can participate from the comfort of their homes. Once participants sign up for a free class by The Art Child, they will have the option of having art supplies mailed to them, including paint brushes, canvases, construction paper, glitter and more, paying only for shipping. On the day of the one-hour online class, attendees are emailed Zoom login information, and on class night, Ms. Alicia first reads an illustrated story before teaching the actual activity. Children actively participate by following her step- by-step instructions and holding up their artwork as the night progresses. They give a final thumbs up once they finish their “masterpieces.” In addition to classes, The Art Child also offers face painting at birthday parties, art activity boxes, art commissions, events (see availability on theartchildllc.org), pre-drawn canvases for DIY as well as pre-painted canvases. Ms. Alicia is also certified to work with kids on the spectrum, who are living with Autism, Asperger’s or with social disorders. As for adults, Ms. Alicia helps them “turn off” their brains during their therapeutic art classes by focusing on the process as opposed to the outcome. 
As with anything worthwhile there is a cost. However, The Art Child holds fundraisers on a regular basis to defray business costs, especially for their free programs. Donations are accepted at any time at www.theartchildllc.org. What’s next for The Art Child? “I want to reach all 50 states with art boxes, and I’ll be having an event with The Key Bookstore in Hartford, Connecticut on February 19 at 6:00pm,” she shared. “It's a story time and painting event for adults and children. I am also working on a coloring book for all ages.” Ms. Alicia is getting a jump start on her goal of reaching all 50 states by offering a special Valentine’s Day activity box. She hopes to “spread the love” by offering this special activity for couples that include two canvases and brush sets, two heart notebooks, two pencils, two slimes, two bottles of bubbles, six paints, glitter and a rose quartz from Hippie Love. She explains that the rose quartz, when held, will helps people to relax their minds and will then activate the love inside of them, allowing their hearts to tell them what to paint. Visit www.theartchildllc.org to order one of these special boxes. Sounds like a good plan. The Art Child is in Bloomfield, Connecticut, with in-person services available throughout Connecticut and online services available nationwide. Find The Art Child on Facebook, Instagram or learn more at theartchildllc.org.   BROWSE THE SHOPBLACKCT.COM DIRECTORY:
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