Nelson Morales asks the question: Can creativity make the world a more compassionate place?
On Friday, September 8, hundreds of creative Charlotteans gathered at Warehouse 242 to explore our global theme of “Compassion” along with 172 fellow chapters around the world. Here at home, our speaker was Nelson Morales, a Mexican photographer and current Artist in Residence at the McColl Center for Art + Innovation. His work focuses heavily on the Muxe of Oaxaca – people who identify as a “third gender” and live in one of the few places in the world accepting of their culture.
We chose Nelson because he shows us that creativity can serve a powerful role in building compassion for others – in particular, those who are different from us. Each click of his camera is a gorgeous gesture of compassion for people who are “other.” Over time, Nelson found himself stepping in front of his own compassionate lens to pose alongside the Muxe people – ultimately (and bravely) facing his own emerging identity as Muxe.