VAV:My Story, How the arts have had an impact on me personally.
When we talk about personal value, obviously it will be defined differently for everyone. If you cannot imagine not having that something in your life, then it has value. To what degree you measure that value is subjective.
I can not imagine my life without the arts in it, they have given me strength at times, understanding and comfort. Creativity has given me energy. My entire professional life has always been guided by my creative thinking and the arts have always been at the core of everything I have done.
As far back as I could remember the arts have been a key element in my survival. When I was in elementary school I would sit in the back of the room creating special art projects for the teacher, I would spend my time at home drawing and writing elaborate stories, I literally created my own world through the arts which helped me survive, in middle school I remember having a very hard time and felt I never fit in and was never happy with myself so I started writing poetry. In the eighth grade, I remember showing my poems to my English teacher, I remember her saying they were depressing. I remember my eighth-grade art teacher constantly encouraging me and when I felt I was not good enough to apply for a special arts high school she continued to encourage me [her encouragement felt amazing]and helped me prepare my portfolio. I never did go to that arts high school even though I was put on a wait list and called to attend.
I went through high school not doing any art which was probably the worst mistake in my life. I had no outlet, so I turned to drugs and alcohol. While in college I started writing and painting again which proved to be my lifeline. I wrote constantly and did some drawing and painting. It was art that kept me alive, literally. It was at that time I decided to use the arts to help others.
Throughout the years I have observed the impact of the arts on youth through adults but obviously none had affected me more than watching my husband teach himself how to sculpt with wire. Six years ago, my husband was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer and I closed my nonprofit as I needed to be by his side. With my encouragement he taught himself to create abstract wire sculptures which he worked on every day. This creativity and art were some of the best medicine for him. He was so proud of his art and his accomplishments. He took great pride in his art. His art gave him meaning and purpose and was a way for him to not think about his disease. He died this past December and each piece of art he created is a little piece of himself that is with me every day.