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I am fresh off of a plane from PodFest Expo, where I attended soley as a student, to learn new technologies and meet new people whose platforms I can amplify.

Shout out to Paulette Erato from Latinas in Podcasting, who virtually introduced me to Dr. Lauren Guerra who I walked into the space with for the very first time and who witnessed a life changing moment I will share when the time is right.

I will eventually have a full recap of Podfest… stay tuned for that but…

Today… I am making space for other voices.

You may not know this, but the original concept for Siembra was actually an idea from a book I planned to launch in 2025. When the pandemic hit, I stepped in to help a few friends figure out their next steps in case they didn’t return to their pre-pandemic jobs. What started as helping a handful of people grew into a community of over 241 individuals, sparking a journey that has shaped this platform over the past five years.

Today, we have a thriving newsletter, a podcast launching in just a few days, and plans for a YouTube channel on the horizon. As I began reimagining this project, I thought, What if Siembra became a space for other creators to guest blog, teach classes, and build a collective that enriches the experience for everyone?

That brings us to today’s exciting announcement: I’m thrilled to introduce Valerie Evans, a creator I’ve been connected with for over 20 years. Valerie played a pivotal role in helping me give away books to readers through Sofrito For Your Soul in partnership with her former employer, Hachette Publishing back in the early 2000s.

This is just the beginning of what’s possible when creators come together to inspire and uplift. This is me… opening the gate, please immerse yourself in this new concept.

-George Torres

Welcome, Valerie!

Valerie M. Evans is a bilingual writer, cultural strategist, and decolonial scholar of Puerto Rican, Taíno, and Southern Italian heritage. With a Master’s in Media, Ethics & Social Change from the University of Sussex, her anthropological work focuses on cultural preservation, identity, and social justice through creative and scholarly writing. Her research explores Indigenous resilience, historical memory, and the intersections of technology and heritage.

Connect with Valerie on her website - https://www.valeriemevans.com/

Dear Artist,

with all due respect, you are not a “creator.” 

In the grand story of humanity, self-expression has always been our most sacred art. From the first cave paintings to the verses of Shakespeare, from the weavers of Andean textiles to the sculptors of the Renaissance, humans have always sought to make their mark, to leave something behind that whispers: I was here. Today, we call some of these creators "content creators." But are they not, in essence, artists?

The term “content creator” has surged in popularity over the past decade, evoking images of vloggers editing in coffee shops, influencers perfecting Instagram posts, and YouTubers chasing golden-hour light. It feels functional, almost mechanical—a label more fit for an assembly line than the infinite creativity of human expression.

As someone who began blogging in 2006—long before “content creator” was the term de rigueur—I have watched this evolution with both awe and scrutiny. Sixteen years ago, I founded a community for creatives carving out space online, not knowing we were standing at the dawn of a cultural revolution. That little blog dedicated to exploring under-represented authors, books and societal issues through an anthropological lens changed my life. It accelerated a career in publishing, media and communications that I never imagined and gave me access to opportunities that would not have been possible otherwise. What I’ve come to understand is this: the digital age hasn’t birthed a new kind of creator. It has simply given us new tools for the art humanity has always made.

The Medium is Not the Artist

Consider Kimberly Drew, better known to her legion of fans as Museum Mammy. The New Jersey native’s work is deeply tied to the intersections of art, culture, and technology. Kimberly’s Tumblr “Black Contemporary Art,” which she started while a student at Smith College, led to a career at Metropolitan Museum of Art, and now she’s an accomplished author, celebrated figure in the art space and activist. Kimberly’s work reminds us that the medium is just that—a medium. It is her voice, her vision, and her relentless dedication to spotlighting marginalized artists that make her a creator in the truest sense of the word.

Then there’s Laura and Aaron LeBoutillier, the team behind the YouTube channel Garden Answer. On the surface, their videos may seem simple: planting tulips, designing garden beds, or pruning trees. But their channel is more than a repository of gardening tips—it is a symphony of beauty, life, and care. One that has become a thriving business for their family as their platform maintains an average of 7.2 million views per month with a net worth of over $5 million. Their craft transforms the mundane into the magnificent, turning the everyday act of gardening into an art form that connects millions to the rhythms of nature.

Both Kimberly and the LeBoutilliers prove an essential truth: it’s not the content tools that make the artist. It’s the soul they pour into their work, the creativity they unleash, and the connection they spark with their audience.

Technology as a Tool for Creativity

To argue that technology has diluted artistry is to misunderstand both. Technology is a tool, like a brush or a kiln. It allows artists to reach new audiences, to play with new forms, to tell stories in ways our ancestors couldn’t have imagined. A phone camera is no less an instrument than a piano, and an Instagram reel can hold as much emotion as a sonnet.

If anything, the rise of digital platforms has democratized creativity. You no longer need a gallery to call yourself an artist or a publishing deal to call yourself a writer. A smartphone, an idea, and the courage to share your vision are enough to reach the world. The barriers to entry are lower, but the standards of connection remain high.

Why Creativity, Not Platforms, Is Key

The core of artistry has always been the same: a desire to say something, to make someone feel something, to add beauty or meaning to the world. Whether your medium is a canvas, a garden, or a TikTok dance, the act of creating is sacred.

We need to stop dismissing influencers, vloggers, and digital creators as “just content creators” and start recognizing them as artists of our time. They are sculptors of stories, painters of emotions, composers of shared experiences.

When Kimberly Drew’s Instagram post makes you think differently about who gets to define art, or when a Garden Answer video inspires you to plant a seed, they are doing what artists have always done: moving us, challenging us, connecting us.

An Invitation to Create

As we step into an era where anyone can be a creator, the challenge—and the joy—is to create something meaningful. The tools may evolve, but the essence of art does not. We are all born creators, wired to make sense of the world through expression. George, the man behind Siembra Connect, call us cultivators.

So, to the bloggers, the influencers, the storytellers, the dreamers: embrace your art. Pour yourself into it unapologetically. Use the tools of today to tell the stories only you can tell. And never forget—you’re not just creating content. You’re creating meaning, connection, and beauty in a world that desperately needs it and people to pave the way for new voices.

Let’s celebrate the artists of our time, no matter what they call themselves or how they create. The internet is our canvas now. What will you make of it?

-Valerie M. Evans

The last 24 hours have been wild when it comes to Tik Tok, so keep in mind there will be 20 more developments by morning. I have picked a few that tell the bigger story.

Creatives Care is a community of artists, providers, and supporters securing the future of the arts by providing free services to help artists access affordable, high-quality mental healthcare.

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