Light That Finds Us
How a Starry Night Painting Workshop Helped Students Discover Hope Through Creativity What happens when students are invited to see their lives through the lens of creativity? At I AM ART Camp at CEIVA School, a four-day painting workshop offered students a space to explore that question through art, reflection, and faith. Led by Grace […]
Creativity That Sustains a Family
How a CEIVA Home Visit Revealed the Strength, Skill, and Dignity of Weaving One of the week’s most grounding experiences was a visit to the home of a family connected to the CEIVA school community. The family includes eight children, their mother, and their grandmother, all living together in humble conditions. Their home has dirt […]
Creativity That Points to the Creator
How Visual Banners at CEIVA Helped Bring the I AM ART Themes to Life Not every lesson is delivered through words. At I AM ART Camp at CEIVA, large visual banners reinforced the week’s spiritual themes, visible every day. Created by Athentikos Program Director in Guatemala, Kathlyn Chan, and missionary Liz Campbell, the banners were […]
The Sound of the Rain Needs No Translation
Between November 10th and November 15th, I taught a creative writing and painting workshop at Athentikos’ I Am Art camp in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Several artists from the United States banded together, left the comfort of their homes and families, and journeyed into the heart of Zone 18, an area of Guatemala City riddled with violence, […]
Embracing Conflict Amplifies Authenticity
Embracing conflict amplifies authenticity. We spent six months developing the I Am Art curriculum and empowering our artists to leverage it in their art forms. Our goal was to empower these children to see themselves as beautiful art of the I AM, filled with purpose in God’s greater story. We know that many of these children […]
Excited, Nervous, But Mostly Excited to Empower Through Creative Arts
Excited, somewhat nervous, but mostly excited to empower through creative arts. That’s how I would describe my pre-trip status. I am constantly reminding myself that I am not in control, constantly thinking “It’s not about me.” I see evidence all of the time that there is a bigger plan in place and I trust in […]
Cross-Cultural Creative Arts
We’re planning a cross-cultural creative arts project for Guatemala and Tennessee. Julia and I are part of the Fall 2014 Athentikos I Am Art Team. We spent several hours the other day with Scott and Amelia collaborating and brainstorming art projects for our I Am Art workshop. I have been a little overwhelmed with the idea of […]
Creativity Takes Courage
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″] I’m heading to Guatemala again next month! It’s hard to blog something new about my experience and our work with at-risk kids in Guatemala because I feel like I “talk” about it all the time! Yes, Guatemala has become part of our lives. What started as a life-changing journey to adopt […]
I Love Guatemala – Kali Pliego
By Kali Pliego About 10 years ago, during my third trip to Guatemala, and halfway though a semester abroad, I naively professed my love for all things Guatemala to a man who told me, “If you’re telling me that you love Guatemalans, then I’m telling you—you must not know many Guatemalans.” He was a North […]
Omaha Film Festival / Press Release
Athentikos heads to the Omaha Film Festival this week to premiere “Becoming Fools.” For those of you in the area (or know someone in Omaha), please join us in celebrating this story. Here is the press release for the film. Filmmakers inspire hope in Guatemala by “Becoming Fools” Non-profit organization, Athentikos, premieres feature-length documentary Becoming […]