About

Common Root Collective (CRC) was founded by artist and community advocate Amity Vargas, whose own journey through illness, trauma, and recovery became the seed for a new kind of creative space. After facing life-altering medical challenges, Amity discovered that art was more than expression — it was a lifeline. Through creative practice, she began to rebuild cognitive pathways, regulate her nervous system, and reconnect to meaning after profound loss and change.

​

What began as one person’s way of surviving grew into a movement for connection and inclusion. Amity’s experience revealed how creativity can rebuild lives — yet access to creative opportunities too often depends on privilege, not potential. Like so many communities, the art world has not always been inclusive of artists and creatives with disabilities. She set out to change that by creating spaces where healing, art, and belonging intersect — where every artist has the chance to be seen, supported, and celebrated.

​

CRC was created to bridge that gap by giving artists and creatives access to collaborative programs, events, and skill-building opportunities that nurture both personal growth and professional development. We encourage creative exploration as an alternative to traditional schooling and career paths — opening doors for people to learn, make, and thrive. Every step of the process invites healing, connection, and renewal.

​

Today, CRC cultivates spaces where creativity brings people together — as a source of expression, connection, and shared growth. The organization is grounded in the belief that creativity heals and connects us; that every story matters, every person has something to create, and that connection itself is an art form.

​

Through its programs, partnerships, and collective efforts, CRC continues to grow from one person’s act of resilience into a community rooted in hope, empathy, and creative inclusion.