The creative arts speak through and to us in 2019: memoir & storytelling, poetry, music listening & creation & therapy, Chinese New Year, Puerto Rican superheroes, theater, acting & audio description, podcasting, children's book writing, photography and more.
“This country is in need of deep healing. We’re in a transformational moment in national history and earth history, so whichever way we move is going to absolutely define us.”
“…the work of loving oneself is no small task. In a culture and society that profits off of us separating from ourselves at a fundamental level, to love oneself is one of the most radical things a person can do…”
"If we love ourselves and we love each other, if we love the very concept of loving, then everything else just falls into place..."
“…to me this is the highest level of enlightenment. It’s understanding that good and bad can happen all at the same time, and we choose which one to focus on. I choose love.”
“It will take time, work, love, patience, persistence and a dogged insistence that we deserve a world where we all truly belong…”
"It’s about following your heart, looking for answers in undiscovered places, and daring to go to places internally that you didn’t even know existed. Then suddenly getting it! When we follow our heartstring, there’s no telling where we could end up..."
"...People who are blind do not judge those around them in the ways the rest of us do. People who are blind do not see skin color, for example. All they know is what they learn from what others say and do. It’s such a non-judgmental way to live, I wish we could all be like that."
“Things don’t have the be the way they are. In much of the world, we manage to take care of people pretty reasonably well. This is the wealthiest nation in human history, we can do it here too.” -Colleen Shaddox (Cohort 1)
"These stories highlight that 'freedom' to enter into this country is rarely free - in particular for people of color. Whether refugee or undocumented, there is a price that many have paid by the deeply distressing and disturbing experiences they have endured..."
