From the highway in Mississippi I exited onto a street that quickly became a dirt road. Cows on one side, trees lining the road way. Coming to a long driveway I was greeted by two dogs. They led me towards the house.

I worked at the local library story time hour where the children and their parents come to hear stories each Thursday. This week after the children heard stories about a box turtle and saw the turtle that the librarian had moved from the road, that she carried in a postal service box, they worked with me. I opened up the map and showed them how far I had traveled and many of the beautiful faces of the children that I have already had the pleasure of working with.

Then they got right to it and started drawing themselves like they were on a mission, each of them had a beautiful way of representing themselves and most of them didn't choose to use the mirrors already so confident in what they were creating.

SLXLM

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​The following day was a local nursing home where some lovely people some who considered themselves artists and were very familiar with working and others who didn't consider themselves artists and were hesistant to begin but who I learned had been great seamstresses and gardeners and quilt makers. By the end each was creating their own work.

The next days I was shown according to my new 9 year old buddy Brody, "A little bit of the country life." We rode in the back of the pick up truck and hiked to the creek seeing deer along the way. It had been a bit of a rain storm that day before and the ground was still sloppy so mud fish tailed up and at us as we traveled through the deeper parts. Brody let me interview him the first day I was there about his ideas and he did a bit of interviewing of me as well which I think we both appreciated each others interviews and learned from each other.

He was hesistant to draw himself but decided on the last day I was there to give it a try. I commended him for trying something new and we talked about the necessity of creativity and the power of the imaginaton in all we do, from drawing a picture to playing a football game, to fixing a car. He told me about the need to work hard and get out there to work, which he does with his grandpa. We learned from one another in the time we spent and it was an honor to meet him.

So for Brody, #HAILSTATE!!!!