Within The Walls of Miami

Every time I step into the portal of Miami, I am reminded of its magic. In the same way Alice fell into Wonderland, I fall into Wynwood. Down a rabbit hole of multimedia, where meaning is remixed on repeat – layering diverse visions on top of the previous. Miami is a papier-mâché of artistic taste. It is an opportunistic oasis where one man’s trash is bound to be another man’s treasure. The city is the epitome of making something out of nothing, and foreseeing potential before it prevails. It carries a contagious energy where creativity flourishes at the forefront of its canvas. Here, art shape shifts throughout time as new impressions and interpretations modify modern designs. Past and present becomes an airbrushed blend of personality, cultural heritage, and statement. It is a place of trial and error where novice and expertise collides, empowered through a willingness to try. Wynwood is never the same place twice. The neighborhood is ever-evolving, breathing, and alive. The colors of its walls change with the times, as do the people it welcomes – an embodiment of how art imitates life.

If you couldn’t already tell, Wynwood is my favorite place to play. To express. To experience. And to unapologetically embrace. The streets intersect individuality with inclusivity, founding community upon encouraged subjectivity. Trailblazers, followers, self-thinkers, and wandering souls each paving their path, only for them to interconnect through a mutual purpose. That of self-exploration and personalization. Where being yourself, is to be one with everyone else. In Wynwood, standing out is the norm to fitting in. Not in the way where you lose your identity but are instead empowered in finding it. Where you are greeted along the search for the self with others who are seeking the same. Here, the collective connects through the relatability of personal customization. Wynwood is a circus of creation, and a spiritual jungle gym physically manifested through art and architecture.

Imagine this; murals cascading from cemented structures, stamped with paintings, patterns, and abstract shapes. A celebratory concoction of different genres, different artists, and different eras in time. Colors in every direction indulging your sight. The walls screaming in sensory stimulation, oozing with curious excitement. It is a nonsensical fantasy fiction, only to awaken to the reminder that is in fact reality. You’re entirely bonkers, the wind whispers past the edgy youth of hipsters and trendsetters inhaling its mantra. The one where silliness is commended and seriousness, condemned. Where your inner child nurtures the authenticity of your adolescence – rooted in remembrance. The scent of fusioned food fills the air, seasoned with Latin, American, and Asian spice. Reggaeton and house music melodically intertwines throughout the speakeasies and local venues – to the rhythm of a good time. The boutiques are selling jewelry, juices, clothing, and coconut ice cream, with a touch fortune telling on the side. The palm trees have faces, and the streets are spraypainted with inspiring affirmations. This is Wynwood. A unique blend of Miami life.

“There is a place, like no place on Earth. A land full of wonder, mystery, and danger. Some say, to survive it, you need to be as mad as a hatter: Which luckily, I am” (Alice in Wonderland). What was once an industrial hub and home to Miami’s Garment District, reconstructed into a world-renowned art center. In the early 2000s, warehouses were repurposed for galleries, and factories for entertainment, in the hopes for economic flourishing. Although this was granted it came at a cost - the pendulum of pros and cons. Gentrification being the most prominent consequence thereof. In turn its original Puerto Rican culture diluted through the displacement of wealthier residents. Although, its demographic remains prosperously diverse. Commercialization so with threatened the preservation of the community’s initial character. Acknowledging both ends of this spectrum allows us to appreciate neighborhoods like Wynwood with wokeness, while holding its evolution close to our hearts.

The district is a testament of resilience and rebirth. It invites visitors to do their part in protecting its authenticity and honoring its history, while remaining attentive to its reality. Wynwood stands with the people through the power of art. Within its walls, a womb of creation is eternally vitalized through a culture of love. Where peace, unity, and respect cultivate like a caretaker to its flame. Wynwood has become the hub for self-expression. With international art fairs, museum exhibitions, and music festivals, highlighting the importance of humanity. It creates a place for connection, intimacy, soulful exchange, and society to relieve – to truthfully be. Wynwood is an immersive experience to the life around us, and the one within.

“Life holds the mirror up to Art…The energy of life, as Aristotle would call it – is simply the desire for expression, and Art is always presenting various forms through which this expression can be attained” (Wilde, n.d.). Wynwood is a creative call to action for those seeking further than a surfaced gaze. Where meaning melts with intention, and storytelling unravels down every lane. Here, strength is sculpted throughout the streets, showcasing the unjust struggle of indigenous societies. While contemporary life carves a unique understanding of our current times. With artists conveying the social, cultural, and economic circumstances we face today. Technology, identity, evolving mentalities, poverty, and the world’s political state – each conveyed through their own observations. Wynwood is a collage of communication mediums with social commentary alluring its community. Whether its truth is beaming from buildings, or through the friend group trying on cool clothes, art remarks at everything we already are.

I feel like Alice sometimes. Not knowing where it is I’m quite going but trusting that any road can take me there. “You’re not the same as you were before. You used to be much…muchier…you’ve lost your muchness” (Alice in Wonderland). But Wynwood reminds me. It allows me to find me, because here I feel seen. Here I can be everything it encourages me to be. Art. Human. An expressive being. In Wynwood everyone has a voice. No one is silenced, we can all make noise. It instills a limitlessness of hope, authenticity, imagination, and honesty. With the greatest confine being the constructs we create in our minds. The eagerness to define! Wynwood is an homage to who we were, who we are, and who we desire to be. It is the freedom of reconstruction, an artifact integral to its backstory. It is a museum of matter, substance and social significance personalized through our own perceptions – where the collective shines through individual characterization. Wynwood is an energetic source, a crystal ball of creative strength. A strength ignited through self-expression, where the only consistency is to change. “It’s no use in going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then” (Alice in Wonderland)

References:

“Alice in Wonderland Quotes.” IMDb, IMDb.com, www.imdb.com/title/tt1014759/quotes/.

Wilde, Oscar. “The Decay of Lying .” Oscar Wilde Online, www.wilde-online.info/the-decay-of-lying-page15.html#google_vignette.

Strike Out,

Kynda Kailea Green

Miami

Kynda Green is a recent graduate from Lynn University, within the field of Communications and Media. She enjoys exploring her artistic expression through creative directing, writing, and film. Her passion pursuit includes her poetry page on Instagram, where she reflects on relatable experiences, such as love and loss. In addition to her self-published work, she spends time on nature walks, venturing new places, and taking photos with friends. She is excited for her first term at Strike Magazine, and the chance to create and connect with a like-minded community.

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