Before I started working at PATTERN, I already knew that it was more than a “fashion” magazine. I had known that it was a non-profit magazine that featured musicians, comedians, artists, and so much more. However, I didn’t truly grasp PATTERN’s purpose until after a couple of days in the office.
I had all of the pieces of the puzzle, I just needed to put them together. At first I didn’t know what connected the non-profit part of the magazine to the creative side, until I learned the term “creative economy.” The creative economy is an economic system that is rooted in the value of creativity as opposed to land, labor, or capital. What this means for PATTERN is that the non-profit and the creatives are connected by PATTERN’s purpose, which is to give back to the creative economy in Indianapolis.
How PATTERN supports the creative economy is by giving Indy creatives a platform to share their work and sharing resources for creatives to grow. My time at PATTERN has been something that I am very proud of, and I have realized a passion that aligns with PATTERN’s mission.
Ever since I came to Indy four years ago, I have always wanted to explore Indy’s creative scene. However, for the past couple years my plans had been halted by the pandemic. By the time the fall of 2022 rolled around, I had all but given up. So when I joined PATTERN at the start of the year, it had reignited my interest.
If you don’t already know, every month since January PATTERN’s digital magazine has had a theme. During the month of January, the theme was connectivity and I researched and wrote an article on networking resources for creatives in Indianapolis. That month, not only did I learn about the creative economy, but I got to learn about the importance of networking and creating personal connections within the creative community. It may seem obvious but if you want people to show up for your creative project, you have to show up for other people’s creative projects. There’s no such thing as a successful musician who’s never been to a concert or a famous artist who’s never been to an art gallery.
Researching networking resources for creatives gave me an amazing glimpse into Indy’s creative economy and made me realize that I wanted to do more than just explore Indy’s creative scene, that I wanted to contribute to the creative community by supporting the creative economy. This is something that I have now become passionate about and I am forever grateful to PATTERN for giving me this opportunity.
