The last couple of years have felt heavy to me. The weight of the constant news of injustice, greed, and hatred has felt especially acute. At the same time, I have been so inspired by the heroic people who have come forth like beacons of light in the darkness. The power of art to create change and people’s hunger for it has been a huge motivator for me in creating my activist art. That being said, trying to keep up and respond to what is going on while juggling the demands of two young kids finally hit a tipping point of overwhelm for me this Spring. Through conversations with wise friends, learning from smart entrepreneur mamas, and my own deep internal questioning I’ve had some insights.
I realize I need to create more balance by taking one step away from defensively responding to what I don’t like in the world, and taking a large steps towards creating ways to spread what I DO want the world to be like – warm, embracing, connected, creative and community oriented. While my activist art is my therapy and will always be part of my life, I’ve got some new big things in the works for you all and some are not ready for sharing (but they’ll be worth the wait!)
What I can share with you is that I will be launching a series of workshops right here at RADICI STUDIOS in the Bernal Heights neighborhood of San Francisco. These workshops are designed to create deeper connections between children ages 5-9 and a caregiver (mother, father, grandparent, aunt, uncle, mentor, etc). Through sharing stories and exploring creatively together my hope is that kids and adults will see each other and the world in a more profound way. All materials included and scholarships available. Below is a short summary of the three courses coming up and more information can be found here
MAP OF MEANING: Create maps of events and experiences that are part of your shared story. Using mixed media we will explore places that have had an important impact in your lives, and create a unique map that helps you share these stories with one another. Sunday, September 22nd 2pm-4pm
BODY ECHO: Children and caregivers will create life-sized paintings of themselves. Having conversations about the amazing things our bodies can do can can infuse love, appreciation and confidence in a topic that can feel complicated. Come celebrate our unique and colorful bodies! Sunday, September 29th 2pm-4pm
THIS IS HOW IT WAS: In this workshop, go back in time to when you were the child’s age and share with them a story that involves an important place (your room growing up, your school, your backyard, a place you visited, etc). Based on these conversations, the child will recreate the place through their own eyes in a shoe-box diorama. Sunday, October 6th 2pm-4pm
