Joy is our birthright as being a part of the human experience. ... Choose joy the first thing you do in the morning. ... Don't put it at the end of your list because it'll never happen and you'll constantly be chasing it.
Boo McCaleb
Joy of Being Featured Storyteller
Boo McCaleb, also known as Booscapes, is a Black transgender artist, video and projection artist, public art consultant, and experiential designer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His creative practice combines digital media, light, installation, and collaborative experiences to explore identity, community, and human connection. Guided by spirituality, intuition, love, and kindness, Boo believes in the power of creative technology, sensory experiences, and networks of mutual support to foster holistic wellness and meaningful community engagement.
Through his artistic practice and personal journey, Boo explores themes of self-discovery, liberation, and the possibilities of redefining masculinity beyond traditional expectations. As a participant in In Progress's Joy of Being project, he reflects on his experiences as a transgender man, the importance of chosen community, and the freedom that comes with living authentically. His story celebrates creativity, personal growth, and the belief that joy is both a birthright and something we can choose to embrace every day.
Podcasts
Choose Joy First
Finding freedom, embracing possibility, and discovering that joy begins within
Minneapolis-based artist Boo McCaleb shares his journey as a Black transgender man, reflecting on self-discovery, transitioning, and the relationships and communities that have shaped his life. In conversation with TJ Lor, Boo explores the challenges of redefining masculinity, finding belonging, and moving beyond survival toward a life of creativity, freedom, and self-acceptance. His story reminds us that joy is not something we have to earn or chase, but something we can choose to embrace every day.
Portraits
I love discovery, I love that there's possibility. There's always possibility. You can fear it, though. You can fear possibility. I do not want to fear possibility and potential anymore.
I'm really happy I didn't have surgery in the beginning, because I ended up switching my surgeon to a way better surgeon. Way better the way they treated me - the experience, everything, like I'm so happy.
Joy of Being means to me just being at peace with yourself and freedom too is a big thing that comes up for me. Freedom from your mind racing and freedom from deadlines, freedom from urgency, freedom from expectations that are not your own.
This activity is made possible in part by the voters of Minnesota thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund, MN State Arts Board GEneral Operating Program, and the Northwest Minnesota Arts Council. Additional thanks to the McKnight Foundation who has continually supported arts learning and professional development opportunities for artists in Saint Paul and Crookston Minnesota.