S02E02: Jennica Nichols and Maya Lefkowich: Arts, poetry, and imagining what is possible

Indigenous Insights: An Evaluation Podcast

In this episode Gladys sits in conversation with Jennica Nichols and Maya Lefkowich of AND Implementation. Jennica and Maya talk about their own evaluation origin stories and everything arts-based evaluation! The conversation meanders through the excitement, cautions, and learnings on their professional journey with arts-based practices and methods in evaluation. We talk about creating intentional moments of reflection, creativity, joy, and story and close our time together by creating a collective found poem, of course!

Jennica was born and raised in Southern Ontario and is of European descent. She comes to evaluation from biology and public health research. Jennica is passionate about increasing research and evaluation relevance and use by changing who leads and benefits from the process. Use, respect, and thoughtfulness are core values that guide her work. Jennica helps clients with meaningful measurement, evaluative thinking, and creative problem-solving. Beyond evaluation, she is a scuba diver always looking for a good hole-in-the-wall restaurant. Check out Jennica's found poem from the episode...

What is possible?

Arts-based methods are intentional, relational.

There is power in softness.

It has to have roots in something.

Grounding in values and deep breaths

We are all messy weirdos

Disrupting. Transforming. Building new relationships with knowledge generation.

Without a blueprint [but] a dream

It’s an evaluation love story.

More magic please.

Jennica Nichols

Maya was born in Toronto Ontario and is of Jewish and Eastern European descent. She comes to evaluation from health research. Maya is passionate about transformative, community-led, and strengths-based approaches that promote equity in research and evaluation. Creativity, justice, and integrity are core values that guide her work. Maya helps clients tell meaningful stories about learning, growth, and impact. Beyond evaluation, she is a potter and creative writer always excited to read about an unlikely friendship blossoming during a misadventure. Check out Maya's found poem from the episode...

What if

What if “possible” informs

We don’t need to talk about arts as different

Grounded in values, worldviews

Not the tools in the toolbox, but you

You using the tools

If the goal is to build joy and community

It makes me excited

The fundamental conversations that need to happen

If it’s on the page, we can deal with it

That’s where the magic comes from

Passion

Maya Lefkowich

Resources from this episode

Free Resources on Arts-Based Methods Stories: https://www.andimplementation.ca/resources/categories/arts-based-methods

These episodes in Season 2 have been made possible through support from Canada Council for the Arts. I am grateful for their support!

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