Cocreating in Art and in Life

Rewriting our Stories: From Observer to Co-Creator

Imagine growing up in a neighborhood where, not long ago, 3 people you knew lost their lives every single day. A place where the future felt like something that happened to you, not something you could shape.

Now, picture that same neighborhood transformed—walls once scarred by violence now burst with murals of hope. Streets that once echoed with fear now pulse with music and movement. Breakdancers flip, spin, and leap, defying both gravity and history.

This is Medellín, Colombia’s vibrant, inspirational community of Comuna 13—a living testament to resilience, where graffiti, music, and dance aren’t just artistic expressions but forces for renewal and transformation. Once one of Medellín’s most dangerous areas, with a history deeply intertwined with the legacy of Pablo Escobar, Comuna 13’s streets now are a vibrant open-air gallery, where murals and graffiti tell a powerful story of renewal and change.

Yesterday we wandered the shops and stands, sampling local offerings, or interacting with local artists, every moment colorful, creative, connected. One dancer @bboypk2308, a member of @strretallstar leapt over me and @aphoenix, and in that moment I realized—art isn’t just something we look at and passively appreciate. It’s something we actively co-create. It’s a conversation between artist and audience. A shared experience. An invitation to step in and be engaged.

And isn’t that the challenge for all of us in life, too? To stop looking around and waiting for change to come along, and instead jump in and start shaping it? To take the stories we tell ourselves about who we are, where we’re from, and what we can or can’t do and rewrite them with grit and creativity, by taking action?

Where in your life are you passively observing? What if you stepped in as an active co-creator? What narrative could you rewrite in your life or community? 🤔

#Comuna13 #Medellin #RewriteYourStory #Transformation #Resilience