Malene Djenaba Barnett, an accomplished multidisciplinary artist, textile designer, and community builder from Brooklyn, New York, begins the conversation by sharing the sources of joy in her life, such as walking on a sunny day, winning awards, and engaging in her creative practices. As the discussion unfolds, Ed, Leyden, and Malene delve deep into the topics of joy, inspiration, and happiness.

Melanie then opens up about her origin story, recounting how her artistic journey began at the age of 5 when she started making mud pies. At 8 years old, she was selected for an art program, igniting her passion for painting portraits and playing the violin and piano. Despite being surrounded by mostly white girls in her early years, it was during 10th grade when she started doing self-portraits and listening to hip hop that she experienced the begi ...