What it Takes to Keep Going
Mézu Ofoegbu works at the intersection of art, healing, and technology in Atlanta, where they've spent their career finding creative ways to make data and community experience felt. They learned about the power of arts and healing when an accident that fractured their skull left them waiting for answers. They came in the form of a friend’s violin recording, sent to them the day it was made. Mézu found in the opening notes something the doctors couldn’t give them: hope and a will to live.
Healing Artist
Mézu is a Southern-based artist and technologist, founder of Infinity Village Lab, who lays claim to radical optimism and believes art is the bridge between the breath and body, self, and something larger than any one life.
This is their story about what it means to heal out loud in a city built on rising from the ashes.
Georgia Statistics
Artistic Haven
Atlanta was named the #1 city for art and music and hosts dozens of music festivals annually, with 112 live music venues.
Music Makes Happy
A 2020 study found that active musical engagement was connected to higher rates of happiness and cognitive function, especially for folks over 50. People who currently attend musical performances rate their brain health higher than those who used to attend or never attended.
Shaded City
Atlanta is one of the most forested cities in the US, with 84.6% of Atlanta’s population living within a walkable half-mile of a park. The city has 7,024 acres of parkland.
Behind the Scenes
Tim Mensa's Reflection
Connecting with Mézu marked my first time ever being in Atlanta, despite growing up only a four-hour drive away. It was such a joy to see the city through Mézu’s eyes and get a grasp of the cultural and technological density of Atlanta.
Much of our recordings together felt so conversational and engaging; I forgot the camera was rolling at times, and that is definitely a testament to Mézu’s ability to level with folks and bring everyone to the table. We’re already plotting what the next Atlanta trip will look like, and I’m very grateful to Mézu for their time and vulnerability lent to the project.
— Tim Mensa, Multimedia Specialist at SCSJ