Give Love - A Community Art Project

New Year's resolution.

2012-01-08T16:38:00.000-08:00

This year, I hope to live by this quotation:

"Resolve to make at least one person happy every day, and then in ten years you may have made three thousand, six hundred and fifty persons happy, or brightened a small town by your contribution to the fund of general enjoyment." - Sydney Smith

I believe that this will be the direction for the Give Love project this year. Not everyday will I be able to do art too, but I will definitely incorporate art into it as often as possible.

Kym's Pages

2011-07-04T19:26:00.000-07:00

I am so remiss in keeping up with this blog. Summer hasn't been the relaxing post-school break I was anticipating! I thought it was just my pages and the finished book to show, so it slid on my priority list. However, I realized that I somehow skipped showing you two more lovely pages! Many apologies. I'm really hanging my head in shame here. But here they are... and they are fabulous.

Kym from BlissWorks sent in the lovely pages in response to my Give Love Art Journal prompts.

1. A community member that positively influenced her life.

2. A good deed.

Again, I am so sorry they are just now being posted. I really don't know how I missed that.

Thank you Kym!!!

Rachel's Pages

2011-05-27T13:03:00.000-07:00

The following pages are in response to a call to participate in a community art journal. You can read more about the project HERE.

The directives were simple:

Art journal about a community member(s) that has positively influenced your life. This can be anyone not related to you.
Give love. Do one good deed to positively influence the life of another. Art journal about that.

Now on to Rachel's pages!

Rachel is beginning her journey to becoming an art therapist this fall. She has a wonderful blog full of her art and life, that I encourage you to visit.

Give Love, pay it forward, pass it on, one good deed:

Blue's Quilt.

2011-05-23T13:28:00.000-07:00

Blue is a 7 1/2 year old on a delightful mission of her own that is all about giving love.
She is asking for sponsors to support her in making a quilt. She is aiming for $250 as her end total with each square sponsored at $10.

Why is she aiming for $250? Well because she has a huge heart. Hmmm thats a bit vague. Here are the details from her momma:

One day we saw an ad in a magazine for Smile Train, which is a program that repairs cleft lips and palates for children in developing countries who could otherwise not afford the surgery. Blue was horrified by the pictures. To show her how Smile Train helps kids, we went to their website and looked at before and after pictures. We found out it only costs $250 to provide surgery for one child, and her question for me was "Do we have $250 to send them?" I told her that we did have $250, but that it was more money than I could just send off on a moments notice. So we brainstormed ways we could get $250 to send, and came up with a plan.

Want to know more. Please go to the source: wisecricket! They have a whole lovely post about this project. Already sold on the idea? Well then you can send an email to wisecricket@gmail.com in order to get their address to send $10 per square you would like to sponsor.

I am loving this, because Blue is (a) being trusted to do her own quilting and it is enriching her creative spirit (b) its a good deed and she is paying it forward (c) how delightful that a young girl is already thinking of others. I say all these reasons plus the good that Smile Train does for children makes this a project well worth contributing to!

Sue's pages!

2011-05-20T10:49:00.000-07:00

First, let me apologize. I told Sue I would have these photos up and posted forever ago. I had an issue with my scanner though and then the hard copies were on display. So I apologize for the long delay!

The following pages are in response to a call to participate in a community art journal. All the reasons behind this project are explained HERE.

The directives were simple:

Art journal about a community member(s) that has positively influenced your life. This can be anyone not related to you.
Give love. Do one good deed and art journal about that.

Now on to Sue's pages!

Please visit Sue to see more of her inspirational work.

A community member that positively influenced her life:

Give love. Pay it forward. Pass it on. One good deed.

Sue, thank you so much for your patience AND for your participation. These pages are heavenly.

Sandra's pages

2011-05-03T01:13:00.000-07:00

The following pages are in response to a call to participate in my community art journal. The project is incorporated into a school assignment, but I am doing it for so many more reasons, which you can read HERE.

The directives were simple:

Art journal about a community member(s) that has positively influenced your life. This can be anyone not related to you.
Give love. Do one good deed and art journal about that.

Now on to Sandra's pages!!!

Sandra is a sweet soul from the Netherlands.

This first image was on the back of some of her pages, while she may not have intended it to be part of the project at first, now it is. I just love it, don't you?!

1. Community members that positively influenced her life:

Sandra says, "On this moment I've got so much people who are a inspiration{mystele, alisa burks, kelly rae, pam carriker } There are so many great artists, so i decided to take the first three. I always loved to be creative. But when i draw people laughed. So i did not dare to draw anymore. I did much with scrapbooking. Then i saw Suzi blu on the internet. I did the course dolls with her. That is where i got the freedom to draw. Then i saw Tam willowing she helped me to accept myself more. And Theesha Moore gave me a different way of looking to art. That is what i made in a journal page."

2. Give love, pay it forward, pass it on, do one good deed.

Sandra says, "I walked with a client{i work with mental handicapped people} and saw flowers. I picked one. Then a bus driver stoped and asked me is that for me? I said yes and i wish for you a beautiful spring. That was my good deed."

An'Angelia's pages

2011-04-26T11:55:00.000-07:00

Art journal about a community member(s) that has positively influenced your life. This can be anyone not related to you.
Give love. Do one good deed and art journal about that.

Now on to An'Angelia's pages!!!

An'Angelia is an amazing artist and woman. She shares my philosophy that every interaction influences her. She states this as, "Every experience that I have eventually manifests in my creativity. Family, friends, music, poetry, food - they're all in the paintings and journals. Things that make me happy, sad, joyful, fearful, angry- they're all included too."

Please visit An'Angelia's amazing blog. There she shares tips and techniques for art journaling, and she even has daily prompts (which I LOVE! Thank you An'Angelia!). I've never left her page feeling uninspired.

1. A community member that has positively influenced her life:

Wait, that's me!

You have no idea how flattered I am. Seriously. Pages have mentioned bloggers like Willowing and have mentioned very influential people in their lives. And An'Angelia, an artist that I look up to, mentioned little 'ol me. I'm very touched. And I have to agree, the virtual community is amazing!

2. Give love. Pay it forward. Pass it on. Do one good deed.

"Small gestures of kindness reap huge rewards!"

Thank you so much An'Angelia! Beautiful pages.

I still have more pages to post too. The finished art journal is now complete. So from now until May 6th (the day before I graduate) I have two posts a week (check back on Sundays and Thursdays). Following that I will show you hubby's pages and then my own. I will follow that up with a tour through the art journal from cover to cover! Thank you so very much to all participants for making this project a reality! I've enjoyed every step and every page!

Kelly's Pages

2011-04-17T12:32:00.000-07:00

I've extended the deadline until April 22 - so you can still hop on board and participate!

The directives are simple:

Art journal about a community member(s) that has positively influenced your life. This can be anyone not related to you. The pages should be made to fit inside of an altered composition notebook 9.5 x 7.5 inches.
Give love. Do one good deed and art journal about that. This too should fit into the altered art journal.
Mail me the pages.

Need more info - you can find it here.

Now on to Kelly's Pages!!

Kelly is the inspiring artist of Kelly's Art Journaling and the founder of the Artist Blog Hop. She has become a dear friend and pen pal, so I was extra-pleased to have her participate.
1. A community member that positively influenced her life:

2. Give love.

Susanna's Pages

2011-04-13T23:03:00.000-07:00

I've extended the deadline until April 22 - so you can still hop on board and participate!

The directives are simple:

Art journal about a community member(s) that has positively influenced your life. This can be anyone not related to you. The pages should be made to fit inside of an altered composition notebook 9.5 x 7.5 inches.
Give love. Do one good deed and art journal about that. This too should fit into the altered art journal.
Mail me the pages.

Need more info - you can find it here.

Now, on to Susanna's pages!

Susanna, artist of Susanna's Sketchbook, is one of my inspirations for doing art in public places. Her winged messenger project was a spark of creativity and joy in my life. I highly suggest you visit her blog to see what she is up to!

1. A community member that has positively influenced her life.

(you can read all about this image of a beautiful friendship in her post here)

2. Give love, pay it forward, pass it on....

(you can read about her amazing winged messenger project in this post)

Hannah's Pages

2011-04-10T11:17:00.000-07:00

The following pages are in response to a call to participate in my community art project. The project is incorporated into a school assignment, but I am doing it for so many more reasons, which you can read in the post here.

There is still time to participate!! - I've extended the deadline so that the pages need to arrive to me by April 22.

The directives are simple:
1. Art journal about a community member(s) that has positively influenced your life. This can be anyone not related to you. The pages should be made to fit inside of an altered composition notebook, measuring 9.5 x 7.5 inches.
2. Give love, pay it forward, pass it on. Do one good deed and art journal about that. This too should fit into the altered composition notebook.
3. Mail me the pages. I prefer the originals, but if necessary, I'd be happy to accept scans via email.

Need my address? Want more details? Find them all at this post here.

Now on to Hannah's pages!
Hannah, author and artist of Hannah Klaus Hunter, is another art therapist I greatly admire. She states that she "is continually trying to make sense of life. How do I do this? I collect scraps of fabric in shade like indigo, henna, and nutmeg, I look for foil wrappers and bits of handmade paper and put them together in collages that make odd but beautiful sense." Hannah works as an art therapist with those who have experienced a loss. Want to see her portfolio or read more about her work - visit her webpage!

1. A community member that positively influenced her life:

I've been working on my own page during our daily art group at the hospital. As it emerged, I realized it was about my old and dear friend from art school days, Carol Spindel, a gifted author and artist.

2. Give love, pay it forward, pass it on, one good deed:

Thank you Hannah for sharing! These are stunning pages and speak to the important work you are doing.

Kim's pages

2011-04-06T19:14:00.000-07:00

There is still time to participate - I've extended the deadline so that the pages need to arrive to me by April 22.

The directives are simple:

Art journal about a community member(s) that has positively influenced your life. This can be anyone not related to you. The pages should be made to fit inside an altered composition notebook, measuring 9.5 x 7.5 inches.
Give love, pay it forward, pass it on. Do one good deed and art journal about that. This too should fit into the altered composition notebook.
Mail me the pages. I prefer the originals, but if necessary I'd be happy to accepts scans via email.

Want more details? Need my address? You can read more here.

Kim, from Virginia, has known me through some of my ups and downs in life. She is one of those really sweet people who doesn't judge too harshly and recognizes that those phases don't last forever nor do they equal your whole identity. I've always been thankful for her kindness and for her ability to overlook the times when my shortcomings were alarmingly prevalent.

1. A community member that has positively influenced her life:

Just after my son was born I found myself at a critical crossroad. I was struggling with a difficult past and extremely painful present. An incredible woman named Eve stepped out of her comfort zone and forced me out of mine. She was brutally honest, compassionate, extremely patient, and never backed down. With her friendship, wisdom, guidance, soldiers fortitude, many tears, and a lot of frustration, I was able to purge my past and cut the heavy anchor from around my ankles. I could see and feel hope for the first time. We started assembling the tools I needed to build a thriving and healthy life going forward. With her help I calibrated my compass and set out in a new direction for the first time. I left the stormy night behind and my life became a Carolina sky with fireflies and tissue kites. I will be forever grateful to Eve.

2. Give love, pay it forward, pass it on:

I am very uncomfortable talking about any kind of good act but I think this is a remarkable project and good will come from it, so here goes. I live in a community where homeless people are mostly invisible to local citizens. And we do not have facilities to address these needs. This subject is behind closed doors, shutters, etc. Recently I saw a man sitting on a bench outside a grocery store, he was hunched over and looking defeated. Long story short I took him to dinner. He was a proud man; humble and very grateful. I felt grateful to meet him. I felt humbled. I don't want to forget that the most simple gesture, like a smile or acknowledging a person, can make a big difference to someone. He reminded me of this. I also am reminded that any one of us could be in his position. We all start out as hopeful little children.

Jen's Pages

2011-04-03T19:33:00.000-07:00

Art journal about a community member(s) that has positively influenced your life. This can be anyone not related to you. The pages should be made to fit inside an altered composition notebook, measuring 9.5 x 7.5 inches.
Give love, pay it forward, pass it on. Do one good deed and art journal about that. This too should fit into the altered composition notebook.
Mail me the pages. I prefer the originals, but if necessary I'd be happy to accepts scans via email.

Want more details? Need my address? You can read more here.

Jen, author of The Fiddlehead Report, is a bighearted woman. I was more than pleased when she said she would be participating. Not only is she a wonderful mother who keeps a touching blog on the daily life of her family, but Jen is also a master of fine arts and photography which you can see on her website.

I'm sure you will be equally delighted in these pages:

1. A community member that has positively influenced her life.

"In honor of Deborah Meyer - my mentor, teacher, my friend. The one who opened my heart and mind to the possibilities. Who saw in me, what I was unable to see and reach. You are a gift in my life. Love, Jen"

2. Give love, pay it forward, pass it on.

"Raise $ for Ethiopia Reads + Tesfa! A donation of 2 paintings inspired by the blog "eyes of my eyes are open" + writings about her daughter's life. Truly inspired - I felt compelled to participate in this fundraiser from afar."

Aren't these just fantastic? As are all the previous artists' pages! I feel so honored to have the participants I do. The stories are so touching and meaningful and I already have a few more ready to be shared that I know you will find as inspirational. Please remember, there is still time to participate and I would love to include your art and your beautiful stories in this project.

Janet's pages

2011-03-31T10:36:00.000-07:00

There is still time to participate - I am extending the deadline so that the pages need to arrive to me by April 22!

. The directives are simple:

Art journal (you can google image search art journal for ideas, if needed) about a community member(s) that has positively influenced your life. This can be anyone not related to you. Make to fit inside of an altered composition notebook, measuring 9.5 x 7.5 inches.
Give love, pay it forward, pass it on. Do one good deed and art journal about that. This too should fit in a notebook measuring 9.5 x 7.5 inches.
Mail me the pages. I prefer the originals, but if necessary I'd be happy to accept a scan via email.

Want more details? You can read more here.

Janet, author and artist over at Just Me and My Art, and I found each other through iHanna's postcard swap last Spring. Ever since she has been a fabulous friend and an artist of inspiration for me. That said I was tickled pink when she had the time to participate!

1. A community member that has positively influenced her life.

2. Give love, pass it on, pay it forward.

Don't these pages just leave you in awe... of both her creativity and the amazingly touching stories?!

Thank you Janet!

Taylor's pages

2011-03-28T07:31:00.000-07:00

There is still time to participate - I am extending the deadline so that the pages need to arrive to me by April 22!

. The directives are simple:

Art journal (you can google image search art journal for ideas, if needed) about a community member(s) that has positively influenced your life. This can be anyone not related to you. Make to fit inside of an altered composition notebook, measuring 9.5 x 7.5 inches.
Give love, pay it forward, pass it on. Do one good deed and art journal about that. This too should fit in a notebook measuring 9.5 x 7.5 inches.
Mail me the pages. I prefer the originals, but if necessary I'd be happy to accept a scan via email.

Want more details? You can read more here.

Taylor, a fellow art therapy student currently residing in Colorado, author of RickRack, gave the following page as a response to the community art project.

Taylor did things a bit differently since her two directives were the same. Community members in her neighborhood starbucks surprised her with a "happy train" one day when the person in the drive through bought her a drink. In return, she bought the car behind her's drink. And on and on it goes.

Taylor sent in the following:

Kelley Brown's pages

2011-03-24T10:57:00.000-07:00

There is still time to participate - I am extending the deadline so that the pages need to arrive to me by April 22!

. The directives are simple:

Art journal (you can google image search art journal for ideas, if needed) about a community member(s) that has positively influenced your life. This can be anyone not related to you. Make to fit inside of an altered composition notebook, measuring 9.5 x 7.5 inches.
Give love, pay it forward, pass it on. Do one good deed and art journal about that. This too should fit in a notebook measuring 9.5 x 7.5 inches.
Mail me the pages. I prefer the originals, but if necessary I'd be happy to accept a scan via email.

Want more details? You can read more here.

Kelley Brown from Missouri, USA, artist of Art Journaling as a Creative Process and fellow art therapist sent in the follow pages as a response to the community art project.

1. A community member that has positively influenced her life.

Kelley wrote, "This one reads "in my child's eye all teachers hold a special place... but especially my middle school art teacher Ms. Bethel." I really did love learning and all teachers, but the relationship that Ms. Bethel and I have continues still today. She was the first to introduce me to the field of art therapy, and I believe influenced me in so many of my life decisions."

2. Give love. Pass it on, pay it forward, one good deed.

Kelley explains her amazing good deed by stating, "This one reads "first on the scene. road rash. burns. tears. lots of tears. prayer for strangers." This is actually something that happened a while ago for me, but when faced with this prompt, anything that I could think of seemed trivial to this experience. I was commuting on my way to a final, and I was the first on a car crash. A terrible car crash. It was early, the driver fell asleep... and he and several of his coworkers/friends who were in the car were thrown as the car flipped. They were in the construction field and tools littered the highway. I pulled over and held the hand of one of the men. More people arrived and I stayed... until the ambulance arrived. I am forever impacted by this and will always remember their faces. I called the hospital, but due to HIPPA laws they were not able to give me any information... To this day I do not know what became of the men... "

Wow. Right?!
Thanks so much for participating Kelley.
I am really happy and lucky to have all the individuals involved that I do, but I am particularly pleased to have Kelley on board. Without her inspirational blog, I would not be interested in art journaling. She was the start of it all for me! I consider her one of my own community members that has positively influenced my life.

Each time I receive such amazing pages, I feel blessed AND excited to see what the mailbox will bring this project next!

Pages by Kate

2011-03-20T20:05:00.000-07:00

The following pages are in response to a call to participate in my community art project. The project is incorporated into an assignment for school, but I am doing it for so many more reasons, which you can read in this post here.
There is still time to participate - I am extending the deadline so that the pages need to arrive to me by April 22!

. The directives are simple:

Art journal (you can google image search art journal for ideas, if needed) about a community member(s) that has positively influenced your life. This can be anyone not related to you. Make to fit inside of an altered composition notebook, measuring 9.5 x 7.5 inches.
Give love, pay it forward, pass it on. Do one good deed and art journal about that. This too should fit in a notebook measuring 9.5 x 7.5 inches.
Mail me the pages. I prefer the originals, but if necessary I'd be happy to accept a scan via email.

Want more details? You can read more here.

The Queen of Creativity, Kate from Idaho, USA, sent in the following pages as a response to the community art project.

1. A community member that has positively influenced her life:

Kate wrote an entire, very touching post about this page. This is what she had to say:
This is the page I did this afternoon to explore that relationship I had so long ago. I met her in college and she was like a mother to me. Her friendship and guidance made me who I am today. It is so nice remembering those times. Sadly I have not talked to her in years. I think I will remedy that, she's only a phone call away.

Do you have any friends you have lost touch with? Maybe today is the day to remedy that.

2. Give love, pay it forward, pass it on, one good deed. An act of kindness to positively influence the life of another community member:

Kate wrote another great post about this page. Here are her words:

For my second part of the project I decided to call this friend I had not talked to in twenty years. I was very nervous, I mean what if she was no longer alive. That would be pretty heartbreaking. So I got the nerve to call and I got an answering machine. Figures in this world of technology. Several days later she called me back and got my machine. We were playing phone tag. She left me this long message and it was so wonderful to hear her voice, the memories kept flooding back in. I called again and caught her at home, at last success.

It was like old times, we talked of the old days and where we were in our lives today. It was so rewarding that I can not even begin to express it. We've reconnected and we will stay connected. Sadly she does not have a computer so we'll need to keep in touch the old fashioned way, by letter and phone. After letting this relationship slide once I don't want to let it go again. I am so grateful to Phoenix Peacock and her project. If I had not taken part none of this would even have happened. You really never know where you're art is going to take you.

On this page, I decorated the background with chalk. I searched through my old photos to find some of Vonda and Wes. That is the two of them at my wedding almost 26 years ago. Then a pic of Vonda showing off her new cowboy boots. She was always the most fun. I threw in the british phone booth because of the distance between us. Its been closed now and I feel so blessed.

Have you lost touch with someone in your life? Maybe its time to reconnect. It is not too late, pick up the phone and give them a call.

Thank you so much Kate for being a part of this project. It meant so much to me to hear how wonderful it was for you to reconnect with your friend. It really was heartwarming to be a part of that process with you!

2011-03-17T23:28:00.001-07:00

Pages by Lee

2011-03-17T09:36:00.000-07:00

Art journal (you can google image search art journal for ideas, if needed) about a community member(s) that has positively influenced your life. This can be anyone not related to you. Make to fit inside of an altered composition notebook, measuring 9.5 x 7.5 inches.
Give love, pay it forward, pass it on. Do one good deed and art journal about that. This too should fit in a notebook measuring 9.5 x 7.5 inches.
Mail me the pages. I prefer the originals, but if necessary I'd be happy to accept a scan via email.

Want more details? You can read more here.

Lee from Canada, artist of Defining Me, sent in her pages for the project. I'm so glad she did, won't you enjoy these with me?!

1. A community member that has positively influenced her life:

(detail)

2. Give love, pay it forward, pass it on, one good deed. An act of kindness to positively influence the life of another community member:

(the image above shows the tag that Lee added to extend off the page, so the white area is just the background it was photographed on. I can't wait to see what it looks like once it is in the journal and the tag sticks out!)

(detail)

Lee does some awesome art pages over at her blog. I've long admired her approach. Thanks so much Lee for being a part of this; it means so much to me!

Pages by Sung Hee

2011-03-15T12:54:00.000-07:00

Art journal (you can google image search art journal for ideas, if needed) about a community member(s) that has positively influenced your life. This can be anyone not related to you. Make to fit inside of an altered composition notebook, measuring 9.5 x 7.5 inches.
Give love, pay it forward, pass it on. Do one good deed and art journal about that. This too should fit in a notebook measuring 9.5 x 7.5 inches.
Mail me the pages. I prefer the originals, but if necessary I'd be happy to accept a scan via email.

Want more details? You can read more here.

Sung Hee from Canada, artist of SungHeeReginaHongISM blog, sent her pages to be part of the community art project. I was so pleased to hear she would be participating since she wasn't sure at first.

You can read about it on her blog post about the project.

Here are Sung Hee's pictures (you may double click the image to enlarge them)

1. A community member that has positively influenced her life, another awesome blogger and amazing artist, Willowing:

2. Give love, pay it forward, pass it on, one good deed. An act of kindness to positively influence the life of another community member:

Thank you Sung Hee! I'm so glad you participated.

Do you want to participate also? Please do. I'm trying to get as many pages as possible by the end of March and through April!

Blog shout-outs

2011-03-11T12:59:00.000-08:00

Some lovely blogs are spreading the news about Give Love - A Community Art Project.

Susanna from Susanna's Sketchbook wrote a lovely post about the person her first page is in response to, her dear friend. The page is gorgeous, and I can't wait to show it when it arrives. But if you want a sneak peak now, head on over to her fabulous blog.
*Susanna's winged messenger project is one of those projects that first got me really wanting to do community based art to brighten the day of others.* Thank you Susanna for the shout-out, spreading the word, and mostly for the inspiration. Without you this project might not have taken place!

Kate over at The Queen of Creativity also wrote a sweet post about the person her first page is in response to, a friend that was like a second mother. The page is stunning and I love how it provoked Kate to contact her friend, whom she had lost touch with. After all, that is one of the goals of this - too often we forget to say thank you! Thank you Kate for getting the word out about my little project! I'm so excited to have you and all the other participants on board!

and I was so excited when Sung-Hee realized that she had something to contribute to the project! You can read all about it at her blog SungHeeReginaHongISM

Just today, Kelley Brown also posted about the project and shared the work of Colin and Nigel. *Special thanks to Kelley, who's blog is what really got me to start art journaling in the first place!* Kelley is also an art therapist, so I am thrilled to have her on board! I can't wait to see what pages she sends!

My dear friends Kelly from Kelly's Art Journaling and Janet over at Just Me and My Art and Nigel at Freebird's Flights of Fancy also spread the news.

Please check out the links. These are all artists that have inspired me regularly. I am so honored to have them participate in the project!

The deadline of March 31 is approaching so I hope we can reach more participants by then, so please keep spreading the news. It means more to me than I can possibly express.

Also, just an FYI... if for some reason your pages don't get mailed by March 31, that is okay, send them anyway! I have the deadline to give me time to compile them but I won't be presenting the book until later in April and then again in May... so while I would like the pages by April, if it takes until the first of May... I can deal with it!

Pages by Nigel

2011-03-08T21:17:00.000-08:00

If you are interested in participating in the community art project, you can find all the directive details in this post and if you want to know why I am doing the project you can find that here.

Nigel over at Freebird's flights of fancy describes himself as "one of those rare creatures - a male crafter." I describe him as someone who is very supportive - he let me know immediately, even when the idea of what this project would actually be wasn't fully formed, that he would participate in my project. Thank you Nigel for your support and for these lovely pages. So without further commentary from me, I will let Nigel's pages speak for themselves.

(If you want, you can double click the images to enlarge them)

1. A community member that has positively influenced his life:

2. Give love, pay it forward, pass it on, one good deed. An act of kindness to positively influence the life of another community member:

Tucked away in the corner (where you can see a bit of shadow) there is some journaling that was difficult to photograph folded down, so instead I've typed it:

'H' was somebody who I'd met once or twice through friends.

I knew her name, and she'd recently been divorced but that was about it.

I ran into her by chance recently.

We exchanged pleasantries, and for some reason she started talking about being down.

Normally that would be my cue to make my excuses and leave,

but for some reason I didn't, I stayed and listened.

Work wasn't going well, she was run down and ill,

and it looked like her mortgage advisor had screwed up and

she wouldn't be able to buy the house she was after.

Given my record with finance and relationships I doubted if I was the ideal person to be talking to,

but after a while I realised that she didn't want advice, she just needed to offload.

When we left I gave her my number and told her to call if she needed to.

We've since had a couple more chats,

and although she's not out of the darkness yet,

I think there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

Why did I stay and listen?

I have no idea, but I'm glad I did.

Apart from making a friend, it felt good to know that

I can make a difference just by listening

and letting somebody unload without being judged.

Sometimes I just don't recognise myself anymore - and it's good!

Artist's pages

2011-03-06T23:26:00.000-08:00

More pages arrived. An artist, who would like to remain anonymous, sent in the following pages.

Please feel free to double click an image to enlarge it.

1. A thank you to a community member who positively influenced the artist's life.

2. Pay it forward. An act of kindness to positively influence the life of another community member.

To the artist, thank you for sending these touching pages in!

I can't wait to see all the other pages. And if you are thinking about joining the project, there is *Still Time*! Please view this post HERE to see all the details with the directives, the due date and my mailing address.

First Pages Arrived!

2011-03-04T00:50:00.000-08:00

If you would like to join the project, please check out the details HERE.

_____________________________________________________________

The first pages arrived!

From 9 year old Colin:

1. About a community member(s) that has positively influenced his life:

2. Passed it forward:

Thank you Colin for participating in my project! This page being one of the first to arrive, has me smiling from ear to ear and in anticipation of many more fabulous pages!

What started this project?

2011-02-28T22:21:00.000-08:00

Looking for the project details? Please visit this post HERE. I hope you will join me on this endeavor!

I have been so busy trying to get this up and going, that I have missed giving some important information. For example, what made me do this exactly.

The short answer:

It is a school project, but not. Really, it is so much more to me than that.

The long answer:

I have been wanting to do more collaborative and community-based art for a while now. I hadn't found the time until I was told that I needed to do a final art project as a response to my position as a counseling and art therapy intern at a community youth center that provides free counseling programs and recreational programs to the underprivileged children, youth and their families in a Colorado city.

The youth I am working with now often have labels attached to them - delinquent, rebellious, troubled, gangbanger, at-risk, etc. There has been numerous studies that refer to the perpetuating results that these labels have on the kids. Often the kids are not given a chance because it is assumed they would fail anyway.

In general, it seems that the large community is quick to judge or point out problems in "those" kids and separate into "us/them" or "other" rather than look at the larger picture of "we" as a community. I would like to see a social reframing where we reclaim the idea that "it takes a village."

There are many instances where there are positive community interactions that help shape individuals' lives for the better. My work as an art therapist is an obvious form of this. But there are others, many others. From other mentor roles of teachers and coaches who take that extra step to show support, give guidance, and really listen to the stranger that offers kindness and consideration. This is where my focus is. I would like this project to show just how influential these positive interactions are.

Since the project, in part, is for school, it will be briefly mentioned in my thesis, which focuses on the community involvement in children's lives. The finished journal will be on display when I give my oral presentation to the counseling and art therapy department of my school.

The other reasons I am doing this project are (1) because I fully believe that these sorts of reflections are beneficial for me and those of you who join me. It is important to remember the positive influences in our lives - I have found, personally, that many of those people that I really am grateful for are people that I am not in touch with and may not have ever thanked properly. For some of these individuals I am able to take this opportunity to remember to thank them. Which seems like a mutually beneficial and heart warming experience that both they and I enjoy. Some individuals are people I didn't know that well or don't know how to track down - none the less, I am reminded of how lucky I am to have had them positively influence my life. I feel so fortunate when I think of all the friends, teachers, and coaches that were positive role models. I am able to reflect that without them I may have not survived quite so well in the world. I could have easily gone down much more difficult paths that would have made it difficult to attain the goals I am so proud to have accomplished.

(2) my role as a social advocate as a therapist - it is my goal to have others also recognize where they have come from, what or whom as eased their struggles, and to recognize that sometimes it is the small things that make a big difference in the long run. With this realization there is the hope that they will pass it forward. That little by little we can change the injustices we see in the world around us. That even in small acts, we can make a difference, even if it is in just one life. I truly believe that everyone has the potential to make the world a better place - and it is up to each and everyone of us to fulfill that potential.

(3) this project is also a bit selfish of me. There are times I come home exhausted and overwhelmed from all the negative emotions that I have dealt with at internship. There are also days where I feel such indescribable joy. However, on the days where I am exhausted and overwhelmed, reflections that this project encourages, reminds me that there is hope. There is hope that some of the kids I work with will not deal with such significant injustices their entire lives; there is hope that maybe, just maybe, I can make a positive difference in the lives; there is hope that they will not just survive their childhood and adolescence but thrive thanks to the countless others who have taken the time to do the small but meaningful acts that are reminders that they are worthy, loved, and full of potential.

The project.

2011-02-23T23:00:00.000-08:00

So there has been one more edit to my directive. This is the final one I PROMISE!!!

Based on feedback of several individuals who are interested in participating in the art project, I've decided that it might be better to have each of you send your journal pages directly to me - I will share them on my blog, so that they are enjoyed by everyone and your art is featured. This will eliminate the two main concerns: 1) the journal traveling from person to person and getting to each destination, including returning to me in time for my class presentation and 2) the limited time you would have to do a good deed and journal.

If you are okay with this arrangement instead of my original idea, then here are the directives:

1. Art journal about a community member(s) that has positively influenced your life. This could be a teacher, student, coach, neighbor, a stranger, anyone that is not related to you. Your interaction(s) could have occurred at any point in your life. Your journaling may be about one person or many; one interaction or many. Your journaling can be on as many pages as you would like, but should include at least one spread to fit inside of a altered composition notebook, measuring 9.5 x 7.5 inches

2. Do one good deed that you would not usually do. Art journal about that experience. Again - feel free to do more than one kind act and journal about each one, but at least do one accompanied by a journal page. The page(s) should also fit inside of the altered composition notebook measuring 9.5x7.5 inches.

Complete both these directives anytime from now until March 31, 2011.

On or before March 31 please mail your pages to:

Phoenix Peacock

423 South Dover Avenue

Lafayette, Colorado 80026

U.S.A.

Thank you so much for your interest in participating.

I am trying to arrange something that will make it worth your time. It will depend on how many artists are involved and what I can afford. Otherwise, perhaps contributing to a broke graduate student's community art project without anticipation of any huge reward can be your one good deed :)

Revamped... an invitation (Please say you'll do it!)

2011-01-06T11:52:00.000-08:00

Community Art Project

I've been thinking about how to better do my community art project. The original idea seemed like a bust. So here is my much improved (I think) plan B.

I am working on a art journal to be mailed out. Individuals (that's you!) sign up to be a participant. Each participant will have one week to work in the journal before sending it on to the next person.

Update: This has been edited (again)... so here is how it will work instead:

There are two prompts:

(1) Write or art journal about a community member(s) who influenced your life in a positive way. This could be peers, co-workers, bosses, teachers, church members, strangers, the person you sat next to on a train, really anyone who is a community member (but not family). What did they do? How did it effect you?
(2) Give love. Do one good deed that is not something you would ordinarily do and write or art journal about it. This could be as simple as smiling at everyone for one day if you don't usually do that, it could be volunteering your time, helping a neighbor, or anything else that serves the purpose of making somebody's day better and is not something that you already do.

~~The journal will be sent from person to person until the end of April, at that point it will be returned to me.~~ It will be presented to my peers and teachers as part of my thesis about community involvement being essential to psychological well-being. It will then be given to my internship site who will auction it off at their art auction. All donations from the auction are used to provide under-serviced under-privileged families a safe environment for after-school activities (which is a HUGE need in this area because of gang activities), free counseling, free educational programs, and a whole slew of other very necessary opportunities that they otherwise would not be able to afford.

So... have I won you over yet?

Please, please say you want to participate and send me an email to PhoenixPeacock@Gmail.com

The Bloggess

2010-12-30T10:45:00.000-08:00

Check out the Bloggess and the inspiring community outreach she created over the holidays.

I'm wondering what to do to actually get people involved in my own community project.
Initially it was to ask a simple question: who in your community (a teacher, a coach, a neighbor, a stranger, anyone really) influenced your life in a positive way?

I realize I haven't left as many of these little questions in public places like I should have. But still, for all the ones I did leave, to only get one response has had me question it. I figured it was easy and simple and therefore more easy to be involved in. I figured perhaps it would get people thinking about all those positive influences in life - maybe even contact them to thank them. The least it would do would be to show that positive community impact makes a difference.

But when I posed this question to my husband and asked him why he thought I wasn't getting any responses, he said the question wasn't interesting enough.

And now I am at a loss. Maybe I am trying too hard? I don't know... but in the new year I know I will be coming up with something and putting a little more dedication into it.

Any ideas or dialogue would be appreciated.

Post Secret

2010-12-15T08:30:00.000-08:00

These two postcards are from this week's Post Secret blog. It goes to show how much community can matter to a person, how much one person can make a difference to someone else.

Post Secret Sunday

2010-12-05T16:17:00.000-08:00

I love PostSecret. An epitome of a true community art project.

These secrets are from today's blog at PostSecret.com

If started a Secrets Wall at my internship for the kids to submit their secrets to. Should be interesting to see if anyone participates and if they do what that looks like.

a Little Love and a Little Thanks

2010-11-26T10:58:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday, before Thanksgiving, these little signs went up in Longmont, Colorado on Main Street and Lashley Street. Reminders of love and thanks.

I wonder. Who found them? Did it make them smile? Did it make them curious? Did they take them or take a photo of them? Will city workers take them down? A beautiful part of this for me is the having to let go. I don't know what will happen. It is entirely possible that they will just be taken down and trashed, and I have to be okay with that.

Does the possibility that they will just be trashed and not at all enjoyed mean that I should not leave them? I think not.

We all need reminders. We all need something that reminds us that there is beauty and creativity in the world and in us.

Bullying Article

2010-11-24T17:37:00.000-08:00

In the September 2010 Better Homes and Gardens there was a small blurb about bullying.

As a HUGE issue in the schools in my community - bullying is close to my heart. As I work to help both those perpetrating bullying acts and those who are victims of bullying - I thought this small article was worth sharing:

"Bullies are scary - to parents, as well as kids - but there are effective ways to protect your child at school. Susan Swearer, Ph.D., a school psychology professor at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, and co-director of the university's Bullying Research Network, offers this advice:

Learn to Listen. Kids who feel they can tell their parents everything are more likely to open up about bullying.

Nurture Talents. Kids engaged in extracurricular activities build strong support networks of friends and mentors who can help with bullying.

Watch for silent symptoms. Headaches, stomachaches, unexplained illnesses, reluctance or refusal to attend school, or an unexplained drop in grades are all warning signs.

Take Action. If your child is being bullied, urge him to tell you the details. Take notes to document the abuse; meet with school authorities. Then, work with the school to develop an action plan. Follow up frequently."

Give Love and Give Thanks

2010-11-23T09:56:00.000-08:00

I worked in the studio for 5 hours on Sunday making up these little prints to leave throughout the community. I'll just tape them to posts and signs, or leave them on public benches and tables. Just to beautify the world a little.

Casey's story.

2010-11-19T10:01:00.000-08:00

Here's my (brief) story of a community leader that influenced me-

When I first read your request, I could not think of any parents or coaches that had a large influence on my life. Most of the time I have been figuring life out on my own but there was this one guy...

His name was/is Kip. I haven't thought about him for a long time. For college spring break my senior year, I signed up for a volunteer trip that was planning to spend time on a reservation in southwest Colorado. Kip was our main contact there, he worked with the local residents in attempting to develop a better outlook for the residents of the reservation. We spent our week doing trail work and planting trees in a park...and...I really don't remember what else to be honest.

The friends in my group chided me for developing a bit of a man crush on Kip, looking back I can't really deny that. I was inspired by his willingness to be a foreigner in a strange land and their home while attempting to guide their lives with advice, which I would learn much more about later.

At that point in my life I was considering my post-college 'career' and joining the Peace Corps was high on my list of options. Thinking about the week we spent in Ignacio, that's when my dedication to the Peace Corps began to solidify. Alas, three months after graduating I was sitting in a foreign land having committed two years to living overseas, attempting to offer advice (as much as a 22 year old can) about how to better the lives of people there. A charge that is very difficult with adults. But youth are much more open to new ideas and so I spent 24 months interaction with high school aged kids, I feel learning from them more then I was able to show.

During those two years a very dim spark was lit, a spark that took me back home, created a burning fire for working with youth, fueled by happenstance interactions leading to a whirl-wind firestorm of my enrollment in Wilderness Therapy. All from a man crush named Kip.

A response.

2010-11-18T10:58:00.000-08:00

Finally - some one who found a heart took the time to respond. Time for a big deep sigh of relief. Maybe, just maybe, it means that if I keep it up and keep leaving notes, then people will join.

The email was touching and inspiring. A reminder that sometimes it takes a moment for us to really think about who in our lives influenced us - so often we don't know it until years after the interaction.

I've asked his permission to share with you what he said. Pending his agreement another post on this will follow!

But for now, it has just helped inspire me to keep it up.

Mr. Abrahams

2010-11-12T13:27:00.000-08:00

I can think of so many people that I could discuss having positive community interactions with that influenced my life for the better.

Mr. Abrahams is one of them. He was my high school chemistry, anatomy, and physiology teacher. While I've never been a fan of chemistry, I loved loved loved anatomy and physiology. Mr. Abrahams believed in me and was proud of me. Plus he told me that he believed in me and was proud of me, which meant a lot. He said I could be whatever I wanted. He told me I had potential. He helped me remember that too.
He also was one of the few teachers/coaches that seemed to understand how much pain I was in when I started first showing symptoms of my chronic illnesses. He was the only person who was a coach that told me that I needed to respect my body's limitations rather than push through it. He recognized that I wasn't just being whiney or lazy, but that I was in severe pain. I don't think I can even express how much it meant to have someone recognize both my struggles and my triumphs.

Thank you Mr. Abrahams.

Other people's thoughts on re-establishing a sense of community

2010-11-11T16:12:00.000-08:00

"Families and communities face an accelerated pace of change and new pressures, often including more work and less family time; more TV and less communication: longer commutes and less sense of community; and shorter childhood and longer old age. Experts are telling us that too many young people are isolated and feel disconnected from each other, their families, and society. Upon closer study we learn that families are often disengaged from the civic life of their neighborhoods and communities. Therefore, families do not have access to the kinds of formal and informal supports they need, not only in times of crisis, but also as a source of strength and nurturence in daily life.
...
It's neither sufficient nor fair to tell overwhelmed parents that they are solely responsible for building community and doing more for thier children. Instead, it is our shared task to address more fundamental, systemic questions: Are communities organized in ways that support - rather than thwart - family and human development? Are community policies and institutions accessible to and trusted by families? What kinds of fundamental changes in community life must occur in order to surround families and their children with the relationships, opportunities, and supports they need to thrive?
Answering these questions, both conceptually and practically, requires active dialogue among all parts of the community - young people, parents, neighbors, institutions - in imagining and creating together the ways in which the community can be a place where all children, adolescents, and families can thrive."

-- Al Gore
in the Foreword: Family-Centered Community Building and Developmental Assets for Youth
in the book Developmental assets and asset-building communities: Implications for research, policy, and practice Edited by Richard M. Lerner and Peter L. Benson

What is it that I'm interested in doing with this project.

2010-11-09T15:01:00.000-08:00

Sunday I left 4 hearts for people to find, open, and respond to.
Yesterday I left 7 around my campus.

Today rather than leave more... I'd like to use that time to reflect on exactly what I am interested in doing.

As a student I am exploring what theoretical orientations seem to "fit" my style and approach to art therapy the best. I have also dramatically switched the settings in which I work. The majority of my past experience was working in hospitals, psychiatric wards, or other residential facilities. While there is certainly nothing wrong with those settings, and I would be happy to return to them in the future, I did notice that we would do all this work together, the participant/client/consumer would make leaps and bounds, would then return to their life, things would fall apart and I would see the same participant/client/consumer again. This cycle occurred for many people I saw. It was frustrating for them, and it was frustrating for me.
Now, the sites I've been working at are community based and non-residential.

So my theories and approaches have to change with the type of work I am doing. This has brought me to further explore systemic work with a real emphasis on community.

The youth I am working with now often have labels attached to them - delinquent, rebellious, troubled, gangbanger, at-risk, etc. There has been numerous studies that refer to the results that these biases have. Often the kids are not given a chance because it is assumed they would fail anyway.

In general, it seems that the large community is quick to judge or point out problems in "those" kids and separate into "us/them" or "other" rather than look at the larger picture of "we" as a community. I would like to see a social reframing where we reclaim the idea that "it takes a village." And there are many instances where there are positive community interactions that help shape individuals' lives for the better. My work as an art therapist is an obvious form of this. But there are others, many others. From other mentor roles of teachers and coaches who take that extra step to show support, give guidance, and really listen to the stranger that offers kindness and consideration. This is where my focus is. I would like this project to show just how influential these positive interactions are.

I can think of numerous examples in my own life... perhaps, another day in another post, I will share some.

Day 2

2010-11-08T19:04:00.000-08:00

More little hearts were left all around one of the Naropa University buildings today...

On a chair in a classroom, on a floor of a meditation classroom, on the sink counter of the girls' bathroom, on the bulletin board, in the computer lab, on seats in the lounge, on little tables...

I think one of the hard parts for me is the lack of instant gratification. Has anyone found them? If they did, did they open the notes? If they did, will they respond?
... no emails yet.

I think in this way I am left feeling both curious and anxious about how this will continue to evolve. Yet, the not knowing is a part of the metaphor of art in relation to my art therapy internship in and of itself. Often, I do not know if I am making an impact on the kids and the families I work with. Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. Occasionally I know I've made a small difference, but I have yet to hear that I have significantly changed anyone's life for the better. And I have to be okay with that. I have to be okay with not knowing if they will ever think of our session's once they walk out my office door. I have to be okay with not knowing. This art project is reminding me that I need more practice at this!

Welcome

2010-11-07T18:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome.
A new project = a new blog.

Today, I began my project... leaving origami hearts on planes and in the Denver International Airport that said "Please Open Me" on them. Inside was a short explanation that I am interested in the positive effects that community has on our lives. I asked for individuals who were interested in participating to please email me telling me about who in their community changed their life for the better... it could be a coach, a teacher, a mentor, or any other community member(s).

If and when I receive these emails, I will write the responses down and incorporate them into a community art project.

I did not photodocument these notes this time, but I will in the future. They looked a little something like this:

If you would like to participate also, please send me an email at:

PhoenixPeacock@Gmail.com

While this project is still in its beginning stages - and I'm not entirely sure about how it will evolve - I am very excited to see what the responses will be. I am also excited to figure out what exactly I will be doing to continue this project and what art these will be incorporated into.