As a part of our DC Innovators series, we are profiling 75 of the most innovative people in D.C. Morgan West, of A Creative DC and Made in DC is today's subject. Our 75 profile subjects will also be finalists for our 50 on Fire awards in December. Know some people we should include? Nominate them here.
Morgan West, founder and director of A Creative DC and program director of Made in DC’s Think Local First, is passionate about highlighting the creative and local business communities in D.C.
West said she started A Creative DC to add access points to the creative community through social media content. She believes that everyone’s perspective is important in the creative community, from performance artists to people just walking down the street and appreciating what they see.
Her work for Made in DC involves advocating for local businesses. The Think Local First program aims support local businesses by making people aware of products and services available in D.C.
Why is your work with Made in DC important to you?
I’m very proud to have been working along [with] this nonprofit. They are the voice of local businesses—it’s really just a lot of people creating neat products here in the District.
What motivated you to start A Creative DC?
I felt that there was a gap that could be filled for the creative community. There are always more access points that can be created for people to be involved in the creative community. I try to keep that as broad as possible; visual arts, performing arts, community arts. Even if you aren’t producing art but you are supporting it, you’re also a part of the community.
In any industry, there is a pitfall of thinking too much alike everyone else. How do you challenge yourself to think differently?
Made in DC is a collaborative project. We are really trying to listen and pay attention to the community as much as we possibly can, while keeping in mind the reason the project started in the first place. I think this is talked about a lot in the nonprofit world: remember your mission.
[With A Creative DC] the No. 1 priority is bringing attention to the creative community, which is under-acknowledged. Whenever in doubt, we really focus on that.
What is an unlikely place that you find sources of inspiration?
Everywhere. We really try to keep an eye on everything that comes through. One of our major goals is the concept that everyone is an influencer. The #CreativeDC feed is an endless source of wide-eyed amazement.
What job have you had that has had the greatest impact on your career?
I worked for the better part of a decade on the visual teams at Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters. Among many other things, it was an education in managing teams of artists and contractors, divvying up lumber budgets and tirelessly explaining to 18-year-old employees why they should care—really care—about visual standards. I came out on the other end with an understanding of an insane amount of work that has gone into the most mundane item of an object you use, pass or see every day.
How you do expect your industry to change the most in the next five years?
My D.C.-specific, long answer is that the barrier has been lowered over the last two years especially, in regards to image creation and social media. It's dramatically raised the standards and expectation for brands and small businesses. The tools now are such that someone who picked up a camera for the first time three months ago can reasonably create an income stream doing online content creation. I don't think it's a bad thing. If these emerging freelancers can work with emerging businesses, if everyone in D.C. can just get to a standard in terms of collateral and product and skills, then the next five years are going to be less about emulation; less about playing catch-up in terms of creative economy and creative recognition. My entire mantra comes down to "we need to make D.C. look good online." The rest will come.
Washington, D.C., is unlike anywhere else when it comes to innovation because there’s not one person in this city without a side hustle.
What’s something that you do every single day, no matter what you have going on?
Social media is a vacation-free zone, the upside of which is that every day something or someone in the city comes across my desk that or who I didn’t know about the day before.
Who is someone you admire in D.C.?
Any and every local business owner. My hat is off to you; thank you for making the city a better and more interesting place to live.
