The Power of Moonstone

My name is Jessye Storey and like quite a few students in Lew Klein College of Media and Communication, I found this field by following my passions and interests and I’ve enjoyed every part of my experience. 

While at Temple, I am pursuing dual majors of Advertising and Art History, and I intend to continue to use these different focuses in my research and practice. I’ve always had an interest in the way people communicate and tell stories through art, and advertising is what I feel is the modern version of art history. Working within the arts to provide effective outreach and communication is the combination I ran with when I took the position of a media and communications intern for the small poem publishing non-profit, Moonstone Arts Center. 

At Moonstone we work to give back to the City and promote poets in Philadelphia and other local regions. We publish and set up live events for poets to perform and have their voices heard. Every day, we work in the office on meaningful tasks, such as answering emails or organizing information. Then, we work towards events and projects, some of which I have had a chance to promote. What I love about working here, besides being in the City, is interacting with a creative group of passionate interns and staff who strive for meaning in their work. 

Moonstone offers new experiences every day. The office is small, but runs on the staff’s understanding of Moonstone’s mission, and each other. The work I do at Moonstone feels right on the ground and I can see the immediate impact I have on projects, artists, and people in the community.

With the introduction of social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter, there has been a huge growth in community interaction with the organization. I take on various tasks that that fall under media and communications. I take the data from social media and offer suggestions and ideas for the interns to develop their promotional projects. For example, I communicate with our staff which days are the most viable days to post in order to get the most views. I also gather information about where and when events should be hosted based on our intended audience. 

It is never too late to reassess and adapt to the changing world around us. I’ve learned the lesson that it is always essential to follow and fully understand an audience, whether the organization is for profit or not. I’m always trying to provide a message and a service that impacts people through advertising. The poets, with whom we work, are inspiring when they get the opportunities to perform. There is something motivating and worthwhile about seeing a young writer with passion getting the opportunity to share their voice live on stage and in print. That is Moonstone power.