Jason D. Smith

Once upon a time, in a magical land called the San Francisco Bay Area, two loving people adopted me and my siblings and they instilled in us the values needed to be successful and live an enriched life.

What drew you to the MA Arts Politics program?

Looking for love. But alas, the program was mostly womxn. ;) (jk) I am a world-traveler so I applied to come and live in NYC. Also, the academic focus of the program aligned with the material I was learning in undergraduate so it allowed me to continue learning about varied and creative ways of being and doing in the world.

How did your experience in the program shape your work?

I have to admit, I am a little bitter but I am also very hopeful. The academics were always easy for me. Now, I'm working to navigate new aspects of adulthood that I have never faced before. It's really scary and confusing. Most of the time, I just want to curl up into an atomic particle and disappear but my work, friends and family, and passions have kept me grounded and present. I use all of these everyday experiences to find new meaning and I'm learning to cope.

What are you doing now?

Working to pay bills. Continuously writing about my ever-expanding world; working on this publication that incorporate aspects of plants, vegetal fabrics, and written words; journaling my experiences at parties around Brooklyn and NYC— networking and creating profiles on people's personal and professional lives (most of whom are NYC transplants).