Who Sustains the Sustainers?

A few years ago, I was invited—alongside three other brilliant Black women consultants who primarily serve BIPOC arts organizations—into a conversation with a national funder. We were already providing consulting services to many of their BIPOC arts grantees.

We were asked to speak openly about our experiences: to name what we carry in the shadows, to imagine what it could look like if people like us were invested in—not just the institutions and grantees we’re invited to support.

We were paid. We were heard. And for a moment, I felt something rare... seen, valued, and supported beyond the deliverables we are contractually obligated to deliver.

It was comforting to know someone was thinking about us—the people behind the plans. The ones designing strategy, holding space, translating impact into systems-level clarity. The people who help bridge vision and execution.

That moment stayed with me—not just for what it meant for me personally, but because it could have been the beginning of a real shift in our sector. Independent cultural workers are often essential to transformation—and yet structurally excluded from the care that sustains it. I know funders navigate complex pressures and competing priorities—this isn't about individual failures but systemic gaps we can address together.

Then those planning emails slowed… and then stopped.

What felt like the beginning of something deeper—an opening, a breakthrough—quickly revealed itself as a surface-level nod. A moment, not a movement.

It’s possible the opportunity moved forward—but in the absence of communication or continuity, what had felt like the start of something meaningful quietly disappeared.

A Pattern, Not a Fluke

In real time, I experienced what so many of the people I work on behalf of have described:

The promise.

The hope.

The gentle unraveling of hope.

Many in our sector carry weight behind the scenes—but independent consultants often do so without institutional safety or support. We move between projects, filling critical gaps with little support for our own sustainability. And it can feel even heavier for consultants of color—especially when we’re brought in to support equity goals, yet excluded from the same care, investment, or continuity afforded to those we’re helping to serve.

There are programs for nonprofit leaders.

Residencies for artists.

Capacity-building efforts for cultural organizations.

But what about the people who help bridge vision and execution?

• The consultants.

• The facilitators.

• The cultural strategists.

The ones who hold the container—then vanish before the celebration.

Maybe part of the reason we’re so often overlooked is because we’re seen as temporary. We come in, go deep, hold space for transformation—and then we leave.

In a sector that celebrates collaboration, our presence is too often treated as transactional. But our short-term engagements often create long-term ripple effects.

We’re building impact, not just output.

This isn’t about blame—it’s about recognizing a pattern. A pattern that shapes how we build and sustain creative ecosystems.

Maybe the others continued. Maybe priorities shifted. Even if that’s true, the impact remains: I felt the silence.

The reason matters less than the pattern: independent workers bear the uncertainty—without institutional safety nets.

From Disappointment to Design

Rather than staying stuck in frustration, I started asking: What would real support look like for people like us?

Because if we can invite consultants, facilitators, and cultural strategists to help guide transformation, we should also be willing to invest in their capacity to keep going.

What Could Care Look Like?

So what could that look like across the sector?

1. Professional development funds for independent cultural workers

2. Ongoing peer learning cohorts that connect consultants and facilitators beyond the bounds of individual projects

3. Sabbatical support for those who’ve been holding space for others

4. Multi-year partnerships instead of project-by-project relationships

These are just starting points. We might also explore consultant collectives, fee structures that build in professional development costs, or advocacy for policy changes that recognize independent cultural work as essential infrastructure.

Some of these ideas are already in motion; others require deeper collaboration—but all reflect what’s possible when we center care in our strategies.

Why I Created The Creator's Well™

It wasn't just my experience—stories like mine are everywhere. That's why I created a space to disrupt the cycle of burnout and invisibility.

The Creator's Well™ is a new virtual initiative designed to support the sustainability and wellness of those who work behind the scenes in arts and culture. This is the natural evolution of work I've been doing for years, combining my experience co-founding Women of Color in the Arts (WOCA) with insights from years of client engagements through McNeil Creative Enterprises.

The Creator's Well™ is rooted in a simple truth: wellness isn't a luxury—it's a prerequisite to the kind of sustained, strategic work we're asked to do. Especially for those of us bridging vision and execution, burnout isn't theoretical—it's real.

Drawing from our deep understanding of the sector's unique challenges, The Creator's Well™ offers a comprehensive approach to sustaining those who sustain the work—addressing both individual wellness and systemic support needs in ways specifically designed for our creative community.

The Creator's Well™ purposefully holds space for wellness across the entire creative ecosystem: for artists, cultural leaders, funders, organizational development consultants, graphic designers, facilitators, and strategists alike. Through our experience working alongside clients at McNeil Creative Enterprises, we've identified what this community truly needs to thrive, not just survive.

Let's Not Miss the Next Opportunity

I share this not just as someone who has felt the quiet disappointment—but as someone committed to building what comes next. I've done it before—like when I co-founded Women of Color in the Arts (WOCA)—and I'm doing it again through The Creator's Well™, an initiative of McNeil Creative Enterprises.

The Creator's Well™ is one response—an invitation to restoration, strategy, and care for those behind the scenes. When funders invest in spaces like The Creator's Well™, they're helping ensure the people supporting their grantees—and the sector as a whole—can thrive, not just survive.

If you're a funder, a cultural institution, or someone who works with independent strategists and facilitators—consider investing not just in their deliverables, but in their long-term sustainability. That support could be financial, relational, or institutional. It all matters.

If this resonates, reach out. Join us. Help sustain those who sustain the work. Let's build a creative ecosystem where everyone who contributes to transformation is nourished—not just acknowledged. When we invest in those behind the scenes, we don't just sustain people—we sustain the work. We deepen grantee support, preserve institutional memory, and strengthen the creative sector as a whole.

McNeil Creative Enterprises will be opening a waitlist at the end of this month so that those who need this kind of support can be nourished by The Creator’s Well™. We can’t wait to share what we’ve been cooking up.

In the meantime, drop a comment below saying 'I want to learn more' if you'd like additional details about The Creator's Well™.

#ReframeTheNarrative #ConsultantsAreCultureMakers #SustainTheSustainers #TheCreatorsWell #ArtsLeadership #CommunityCare