We had the good fortune of connecting with Christene Archie and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Christene, any advice for those thinking about whether to keep going or to give up?

Starting a business comes with its own challenges. Many times a business is started either out of a desire to fulfill a need, or a desire to be an answer to a problem. But when you are a creative being, starting a business, the business mechanics can often overshadow the creative aspect of the business.

In the beginning phase, it often feels like as a creative, that you have been “grounded” for a season, which can be very frustrating. That’s why it is important to keep the “why” in the forefront of your mind, especially at the beginning phases. You will have to continue to ask yourself, “Why am I doing this?” or “Why should I continue to do this?” As long as you always have an answer to your “why”, then that answer will always keep you going and encourage you not to give up!

It’s also important that your “why” is not primarily financial gain. Success is not only measured in financial profits, but also through the impact and effectiveness we have on the people around us. In our line of services, our goal is to provide artistic programs that make a positive impact on the lives of young artists, many who are in underserved communities.  As a 501c3, our success metric is not based on how much money we make from our artistic programs, but rather how effective our artistic programs have on the next generation of young artists.

What should our readers know about your business?

Diversity in The ARTS and Entertainment (DiTAE) is a creative arts organization, whose mission is to make a positive impact in the lives of youth, through arts education and cultural awareness programs for ages 6yrs- 16yrs.  We offer classes in Theater, Dance, Music, Creative Writing, Visual Arts, and Culinary Arts. Our Creative Arts programs are designed to cultivate confidence and character, and inspire young artists to explore, discover, develop, and embrace their own artistic voice.

DiTAE understands how vital arts education and cultural awareness is in developing the next generation of creatives and innovative thinkers.  Youth who participate in artistic and cultural enrichment have a greater potential to be responsible citizens and problem solvers, who can make a profound impact on this world.  In our effort to extend our reach to as many youths as we can, Diversity in The ARTS & Entertainment has implemented Creative Arts programs in local schools, youth community centers, churches, and childcare facilities. Our in-person and virtual after-school programs, camps, workshops, and intensives not only set a precedence for artistic creativity, but also for leadership development and life readiness skills.

Diversity in The ARTS & Entertainment: Cultivating Confidence and Character through Creativity.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

I am a native Houstonian! What I love about Houston is the diversity that it has in arts and culture. Diversity is Houston’s strength and I believe we are just now embracing that diversity and given it a platform for exposure. As a creative, one of the places or activities I would take my friend to visit is the Sawyer Yards. The creativity and innovation of the artists and artwork on display is phenomenal! With such a large spectrum of variety, it will take 2-3 days to fully explore this venue in its entirety. I would also check Miller’s Outdoor Theater to see the line-up of upcoming showcases. My friend may be blessed to see performances by Dance of Asian America, Houston Symphony, or a production by Theater Under the Stars for free!!

Houston is also FILLED with food creativity and authenticity!! It would be too many restaurants to name. But the few that may provide my friend with some creative culinary surprises would be Lucille’s Cuisine, located right down the street from the Children’s Arts Museum, which is also a must see! I would also recommend Kulture’s Restaurant downtown for some creative culinary cuisine. And if we happened to be in the downtown area, then I would visit Discovery Green,  which may have some cultural surprises in food and entertainment as well.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

Diversity in the ARTS and Entertainment (DiTAE) was founded not only for future young artists, but also for Teaching Artists and Creatives to have an inspiring and supportive environment to share their love for art, and to inspire the next generation of creatives, performers. and producers. We have such an awesome and diverse group of teaching artists who attribute to the success of DiTAE’s community outreach. We would like to thank Erma Lilly (Visual Arts), Brandi Brown, (Creative Writing/Theater), Tyler Archie ( Dance, Production, and Costume), Katia Hernandez (Dance- HipHop, Lyrical), Hope Zehler( Dance- Contemporary Ballet), Nyse Brice (Dance- Contemporary, Cultural), Jalon Archie (Music-Percussion) Rachael Palmer (Musical Theater), Chioke Coreathers( Musical Theater), Ana Martinez ( Culinary Arts), and Tyisha Brown ( Creative Writing).

We also have a diverse Board of Directors, that consist of business owners, business management, communication specialists, and community leaders. Many thanks to Danyell Williams, Will Archie, Toby & Wooster, and Luis and Tere Diaz for providing us with such a fortified foundation, sound leadership, innovative support, and for providing the wind to the wings of our creative ideas!!!

Also, being a mobile organization with the mission of providing programs all of over Houston, it often requires access and residency within the communities we serve. We would like to thank Children’s Paradise Learning Academy for providing the home and the partnership we need in making artistic and educational opportunities available to the North, Northeast, and East Houston community.

Website: www.diversityinthearts.com
Instagram: diversityinthearts1
Facebook: diversityinthearts1
Youtube: diversityinthearts

Image Credits
Christene Archie, Encanta Video, Alyssa Cooper

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