Our Founder

Jill Gurr (February 12, 1950 – January 13, 2022) founded Create Now, driven by her love for storytelling and a deep commitment to creating opportunities for young people. Starting her writing journey at age seven, she published three books and wrote numerous screenplays, with two produced. After earning a B.S. in Broadcasting & Film from Boston University, Jill traveled the world, becoming fluent in Spanish, French, and Italian, and worked as a script supervisor on award-winning films and TV shows for 25 years.

During the 1992 L.A. Uprising, while working on Menace II Society, Jill volunteered to teach screenwriting at Optimist Youth Homes, where she saw the transformative power of creative expression for incarcerated youth. Her classes helped students develop their literacy skills, build confidence, and explore new possibilities for their future. Inspired by their resilience and creativity, Jill expanded her efforts, offering workshops at other juvenile facilities.
With the encouragement of Leslie Stevens from the American Film Institute, Jill launched Write Now! in 1996, with a focus on creative writing.

Recognizing that many young people expressed themselves in different artistic forms, she reimagined the organization as Create Now in 1998, broadening its mission to include music, dance, culinary arts, and more.

Though Jill is no longer with us, we remain dedicated to her vision, empowering young people from underserved communities to find their voice and express themselves through the arts.