When I was a little kid on Sutphin Blvd in Jamaica Queens, New York, I saw this painting printed on the pages of my mom’s Ebony Magazine and I was immediately drawn in.  The painting was called The Banjo Lesson, by Henry Tanner.  I tore the image from the magazine, folded it neatly, and carried that picture around with me every day for months! Something about this image resonated with me.  It also sparked my early interest in art, music, and writing as I loved to create stories on paper about the lives of this old man and little boy learning the banjo.

During that time I had already been a survivor of many tragic circumstances.  I had dealt with homelessness, bullying, and poverty. I was depressed, confused as to how to deal with my emotions, and had extremely low self-esteem.  When I felt down, I would pull out this picture and stare at it because it brought me peace. I believed that one day I would be able to create something just like it and I began focusing on art.  

This was unknowingly my first introduction to how art could change my feelings about myself and the world around me.  If it wasn’t for this initial and subtle creative inspiration, I could have gone down a very destructive path.  Instead, my art led me to a creative passion that would spawn an over 20-year career.  I am now a professional creative with experience in creative education, visual & fine art, scenic design & construction, carpentry, photography, graphic arts, visual merchandising & window display, as well as in entertainment where I am a noted hip hop artist and 3-time major champion battle rapper.  I even used art and music to help my son combat autism, complete 3 college degrees and he is now on his way to reaching his computer animation career goals. 

This is why it is so important for our youth today to tap into their own creative selves.  This is why The Creative Youth Society was born.  To help those possibly dealing with the same circumstances I did growing up or similar overcome them via creative empowerment.  To allow our youth to visualize themselves as creative leaders and not base their self-image on past mistakes or unfortunate circumstances. In the end, we want our youth to be inspired and recognize their own potential in life and in future careers.  We want them to stand tall and create freely. We want The Creative Youth Society to be their very own “Banjo Lesson”!

- Sharon Miller

Founder & Creative Director

The Creative Youth Society, NYC