An artist, educator, mentor, and creator, those four combined elements of Dustin Hunt equal a visionary with purpose. He is the founder of Muralmatics, an organization that creates math-based, youth-centered mural projects.
Hunt learned at a young age that he had a special way of communicating through art. As an adult who has received acclaim for gargantuan, vibrant messages of unity and creative expression, he’s teaching today’s youth how to push beyond what comes natural to grow as artists.
Dustin Hunt took time out his busy schedule to answer our “2020 Twenty Questions” questionnaire! We hope THIS INTERVIEW entertains and inspires you.
On a scale of 1 to 10 how happy are you to be alive?
Depends on the day. This ranges from 5 to 10.
As a child what did you want to be when you grew up?
Lots of things. I wanted to be a truck driver for a minute. Lots of solitude, driving from city to city, living in what seemed to be like a fort in the cab of the truck.
I wanted to be an engineer for a minute too. Seemed pretty cool to be able to design and build things.
What was your favorite cartoon?
I didn’t really grow up on cartoons, but The Simpsons remained pretty consistent in our home.
Tell us your favorite song as a kid, as a teenager, and now as an adult.
So many. Here are a few notable ones. As a kid, “The Choice Is Yours” by Black Sheep.
As a teenager, “Cell Therapy” by Goodie Mob.
Right now, “JU$T” by Run The Jewels.
What’s an album that means more to you now than it did when you first heard it?
ShapeShifters by Invincible.
I’ve always been a fan of Invincible, so their debut album was a quick favorite. Listening to this album years later though, shoot; there are so many deep and complex issues touched upon that are especially relevant in 2020.
Healing trauma, migration, building mutual aid, love, gentrification, visioneering a better future. ShapeShifters was ahead of its time.
What are your 3 favorite movies?
So many. Here are just a few. Style Wars, Edward Scissorhands, and Moonlight.
What’s the last film that made you cry or almost cry, and what scene did it?
Moonlight. I can’t even say what scene. The whole film got to me.
What’s your all-time favorite TV show?
One favorite is Freaks and Geeks.
Which character on that show do you identify with most?
I saw a lot of myself in Sam Weir; a scrawny, nervous, awkward middle schooler just trying to make it through the day.
What makes you laugh out loud or smile uncontrollably every time you see it or hear it?
I have a few friends who are the best storytellers. Their stories always crack me up. Also, videos of baby goats jumping around.
Who in your family served you the most delicious, unforgettable dish you’ve ever eaten?
I have a dear friend who cooks the most incredible meals and always shares stories about the recipes or specific ingredients, and always insists on having the dopest music playing, usually Motown related, throughout that process.
I’ve eaten some memorable lamb kefta at her dinner table.
Tell us the most nutritious thing you’ve fed your mind.
I try to read at least three books at a time. Some kind of fiction, some no- fiction and some poetry.
In the past few months, I’ve read Beloved by Toni Morrision. Incredible.
The Tradition by Jericho Brown. Bars.
And I’m working my way through a Math Histrory book to better understand the origins of one of the most powerful inventions of black and brown folks – math.
When did you start to understand your value?
I think when I began to see myself as someone who was able to support my friends, just through empathic listening, I began to understand some of the value I might bring to the world.
Who is the G.O.A.T. of your profession?
Mural Arts in Philadelphia.
They started as an organization dedicated to creating community-based murals, which they do incredibly, and have since added mental health support services and they create entrepreneurial opportunities for Philly folks.
Do you aspire to be like them or more like someone you have a stronger personal connection to?
Mural Arts is a powerful guiding model of creative community-based organizing [that’s] impacting Philadelphia in a major way.
I hope my lil business, Muralmatics, can support my community in long-lasting and meaningful ways too, for sure.
Recall for us the first time you failed. What lesson did you learn from that?
When I look back on how I started out doing something, even with great intentions, and reflect on how successful or unsuccessful I was doing it, I would consider lots of things failures at first.
My first time as a camp counselor I had lots of good intentions and little understanding of mentorship, childhood development, facilitation skills, etc.
My first year as a certified teacher was similar. I had lots of good intentions, some rad lessons and lots of ideas. I lacked skills related to curriculum development, conflict resolution, navigating school culture, constructively challenging school norms, etc.
I think good intentions are a good starting point to jump off into most things, but a consistent desire to learn and improve is even more important. Otherwise you remain mediocre at best. And, if we’re talking about youth development and supporting our communities, I think mediocre is harmful to forward motion.
In what way have you evolved over the last 12 months?
Learning more and more how to show up for friends and family in familiar and in new ways.
Learning how to tap into the decision-making process in city council and school board meetings.
Learning how to leverage my White privilege for the sake of benefitting BIPOC folks.
Learning how to garden.
When was a time that someone you didn’t know did something nice for you? What did they do?
During quarantine I’ve received some unexpected sweet artwork and words from folks unexpectedly.
How would you explain to someone the importance of valuing their time?
I might just suggest folks tap into meditation and mindfulness exercises to understand the value of their time.
What’s been the biggest blessing of your life?
One early blessing was being introduced to 12-step recovery through my mom. She really changed the trajectory of our family by getting into recovery and understanding addiction’s role in feeding into dysfunctional family dynamics.
And as a young adult, getting into recovery myself, Al-Anon, to change my trajectory as a young man.
Another major blessing was getting into hip-hop at a young age. Hip-hop has shaped my worldview in powerful ways and introduced me to some incredible friends. |THIS.
[By Mr. Joe Walker and Alex aka Grand Kai]
