<p>Welcome back to another episode of A Friend for the Long Haul - A Long COVID Podcast! In episode 11 of Season 3, I sit down with Claire and Amaranthia from <a href="https://www.sistacreativesrising.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sista Creatives Rising</a>. We met shortly after Art and Mind 2025 so that we could recap the experience and tap in to how they were feeling after hosting the event. Held on Thursday, September 25th, Art and Mind 2025 gathered an impressive turnout and showcased a blend of artists, community care, and education. The team who helped support Claire and Amaranthia and who were featured artists includes:</p><ul><li>Sarena Brown</li><li>Chi White</li><li>Brenda Macintyre - Medicine Song Woman</li><li>Frankie Fingerling</li><li>Brittany Shorpshire</li><li>Nabila Nugroho</li><li>Veronica Lee</li><li>Mondo Millions</li><li>Han Hamel</li></ul><br/><p><a href="https://www.canva.com/design/DAGyyqrWiGo/C7QQMmT0gpcErFZTVpswZQ/view?utm_content=DAGyyqrWiGo&amp;utm_campaign=designshare&amp;utm_medium=link2&amp;utm_source=uniquelinks&amp;utlId=he9cc8af743#1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">You can find out so much more about them and find a TON of resources in this document!</a> This year's themes included COVID, climate change, and isolation. You can <a href="https://youtu.be/yXkCWntAygk?si=WtxPr8fR13JMgj10" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">watch the entire event</a> via Claire and Amaranthia's YouTube channel and check out the <a href="https://artspaces.kunstmatrix.com/en/exhibition/14672772/art-mind-2025-covid-climate-our-future-virtual-gallery?check_logged_in=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">interactive art gallery they created here</a>. There's actually a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQibRzFpuVASrQOy3Y8pZx4P13o927O2e" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">full playlist of videos for the event here</a>. This episode offers a deep dive into the meticulous planning, intentionality, and community collaboration that made Art and Mind 2025 a great success!</p><p>These two humans truly make the world a better place!</p><p>Find Claire and Amaranthia on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sistacreativesrising/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/sistacreativesrising/ </a> and subscribe to their <a href="https://substack.com/@sistacreativesrising" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Substack</a>. </p><p>Please like, subscribe, and share A Friend for the Long Haul! Reviews go a long way to help, too. Thank you!</p>