Once a month, I will be sharing thoughts and moments that I hold dear to my heart…moments that inspire me to be more and to do more, moments that have me move the needle.
In 2006, I was inspired to create a calendar of my work to support a local charity. After sharing my vision with a dear friend, she introduced me to her brother, who at the time was the CFO of the WINGS Organization. He then introduced me to Rebecca Darr, their CEO and the rest, as they say, is history.
Our first edition of the Beautiful Things with Wings calendar was released in 2007 and featured images created in my mother’s garden in Deer Park and in a converted hotel conference room in Hoffman Estates. Oh how we have grown!
I remember my mom telling me that good things were going to happen to me because I was choosing to do good in the world. I was adamant that this was not the intention of me starting this project nor would it ever be…little did I know or even grasp the blessing that it would me, to be a blessing to others.
Giving of my gifts and talents has been such a great source of hope and inspiration for myself, my family and my team here at the studio. It is the fuel to our engine. Charity is the foundation on which my business is built.
As parents, my husband and I have been able to teach our children about giving and supporting those in need. Beautiful Things with Wings has given us a platform to educate our children about their own safety and how to recognize others in need of help. It has helped us to lead our children to become advocates for others and to have a greater perspective of the world around them.
My work with the Beautiful Things with WINGS project has allowed me to create endless works of art that make a difference in the lives of not only the clients of the WINGS Organization but also my subjects and their families. Seeing a child’s imagination come to life and to be able to give that moment of pure belief to their mama’s to hold onto forever is an amazing thing. To be able to have a child see themselves as Beautiful, Magical & Loved, in a world that doesn’t always tell them they are, is so empowering. Giving parents a springboard to have those conversations, about safety and self worth, with their children, when they are old enough to hear them, is yet another gift.
So YES mom…Amazing things have happened to me and for me and those I love most because I stepped out on a limb and created work from my heart to help others! Thank you to all of you who have supported my endeavors and who have allowed me the privilege of creating with your children.
Xo
April
PS
Since 2007, Light Drawn Studios along with you, our supporters, has donated 20 years of individual nights of safety for women and children who seek refuge from domestic violence in the arms of WINGS.
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