The Sound of the Rain Needs No Translation
Between November 10th and November 15th, I taught a creative writing and painting workshop at Athentikos’ I Am Art camp in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Several artists from the United States banded together, left the comfort of their homes and families, and journeyed into the heart of Zone 18, an area of Guatemala City riddled with violence, […]
Embracing Conflict Amplifies Authenticity
Embracing conflict amplifies authenticity. We spent six months developing the I Am Art curriculum and empowering our artists to leverage it in their art forms. Our goal was to empower these children to see themselves as beautiful art of the I AM, filled with purpose in God’s greater story. We know that many of these children […]
Excited, Nervous, But Mostly Excited to Empower Through Creative Arts
Excited, somewhat nervous, but mostly excited to empower through creative arts. That’s how I would describe my pre-trip status. I am constantly reminding myself that I am not in control, constantly thinking “It’s not about me.” I see evidence all of the time that there is a bigger plan in place and I trust in […]
Cross-Cultural Creative Arts
We’re planning a cross-cultural creative arts project for Guatemala and Tennessee. Julia and I are part of the Fall 2014 Athentikos I Am Art Team. We spent several hours the other day with Scott and Amelia collaborating and brainstorming art projects for our I Am Art workshop. I have been a little overwhelmed with the idea of […]
Creativity Takes Courage
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″] I’m heading to Guatemala again next month! It’s hard to blog something new about my experience and our work with at-risk kids in Guatemala because I feel like I “talk” about it all the time! Yes, Guatemala has become part of our lives. What started as a life-changing journey to adopt […]
Am I a Product of My Decisions or Circumstances?
I recently read a quote that said, “I’m not a product of my circumstances, I am a product of my decisions.” That phrase has been like a splinter buried in my skin, constantly irritating and demanding attention. I’ve wrestled with it over and over and tried to figure out why it bothers me. Then, it dawned […]