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Curating the Culture
with Courtney Richardson
melanin muse® & Kiana Smith
March 13, 2024
Our Cover Muse™: Courtney Richardson, Award-winning Creative Director and Founder of the Museum of Nail Art™
Courtney Richardson, an award-winning Creative Director and a champion for Black women, joins Natina Marie on The Pivot Muse podcast. They delve into pivotal moments in Courtney's career and life, including the founding of the Museum of Nail Art™ dedicated to the history and self-expression of Black women’s nails. From her collaboration with Nike, focusing on local changemakers, to her journey through TV, digital marketing, PR work, and editorial roles, Courtney's path exemplifies the art of pivoting. She emphasizes the importance of following your heart, taking risks, and betting on oneself.
Courtney Richardson, Award-Winning Creative Director
When you bet on other people, you are literally putting your entire life for the most part in someone else's hands. At the end of the day, you are responsible for your happiness.
Big Flex or Bigger Lesson
Talk about a partnership or collaboration that was really big, but the lesson behind it was bigger.
Courtney:
During the time I was the Creative Director of Paper Magazine, I would definitely say my collaboration with Nike for the “All For 1” campaign. We know that Nike is a heritage sports brand that we love, but has a targeted point of view featuring and elevating athletes. They really wanted to showcase local athletes so I said, well, why don't we actually look at the local changemakers who are on the ground, like the people who are putting in the work, who are getting up at 6 a.m. like an Olympian athlete might to train, to move the culture forward, and to make change in their communities.
That Nike campaign was absolutely amazing. We worked with Black Girls Code which is a non profit organization whose goal is to educate a million black and brown girls in STEM disciplines. We also worked with another organization called Kicks 4 The City, out of Chicago, which helps the homeless community.
Honestly, the success of the campaign and how people received it really kind of blew me away. All of the accolades and all the awards are great, but I walked away being bold enough to push the envelope. I could have just said ‘okay, sure. Yes, it's the Nike way. Let's do it!’ But if I hadn't said ‘let's bring another voice into the narrative, into the story’ it would have never happened, right? This was another reminder, whenever you have an idea, you have to gather the courage, gather the strength to speak your mind and share your point of view, and that was definitely the biggest takeaway.
Watch Courtney’s full “All in 1” NIKE x PAPER campaign below and learn more from our Cover Muse™ on how she’s curating the culture on The Pivot Muse podcast. The full episode with Courtney is available now on Spotify and YouTube.
melanin muse® presents…
muses making history:
SHA’CARRI RICHARDSON
Known for her lightning speed and determination, Sha’Carri Richardson has garnered several awards since rising to fame as a freshman at Louisiana State University. In 2019, Sha’Carri broke the 100m collegiate record with just 10.75 seconds and in 2023, was crowned the fastest woman in the world winning the 100m World Athletics Championships race by speeding past her competitors in just 10.65 seconds! | Not only is the two-time world champion known for breaking records, but her vibrant and bold nail designs have become a notable part of her personal style. A museum such as Courtney’s will serve as a platform for creativity and empowerment to highlight inspirational figures like Sha’Carri who have embraced this form of self-expression to showcase the artistry and significance of styling within the black community. |
