My Beauty Breaks typically include a photo of something I saw on the trails or caught my eye outside. This one is about the beautiful work others are doing. Their work brings hope, healing, and creates space for deep connection with those different from us. And that is one of the most beautiful places we can be.
Slow Art
First, I want to highlight the work of Makoto Fujimura. I discovered his work a couple of years ago when he was a guest on a podcast. Since then, my appreciation for him and his work is deeper and continues to grow as I learn more from him. His art is unique for a variety of reasons.
He calls it slow art because of the methods and rhythms of the work. It is explained well in a video on his website. One collector of Makoto’s work tells how he was brought up from the depths of depression by the art. It seems Makoto’s intention with all of his art is to communicate the beauty and glory of Jesus Christ and God’s love for us. His recent book, Art + Faith: A Theology of Making is on my to-read-soon list. Follow him on Instagram to learn more about him, his art, his wife’s beautiful work, and to find out about current exhibitions. He was a recent guest on the Uncertain podcast. It was a remarkably hopeful interview. Here is the link to An Artist Redeems the Trauma with Makoto Fujimura.
The Beauty of Adventure
The next beautiful work I want to highlight is one I found out about last week. It’s the work of Zenovia Stephens. She founded a non-profit called Black Kid Adventures and believes that greater outdoor diversity begins with early exposure, education, and empowerment. The goal is to help Black and Brown families have equal outdoor opportunities and access to adventures.
I had the chance to hike with Zenovia and a few of her friends last weekend. Her passion for this work and her willingness to learn all she can to help other families is evident. Her enthusiasm is contagious. Click the link above for more about Black Kid Adventures and follow her on Instagram to keep up with the adventures and the work.
Creating Safe Spaces
I’ve been in an online space with Sarah as part of a pilot group for Tears of Eden. I met her in person earlier this month when she, Katherine, and I met for brunch. It was a joy to meet them face-to-face and spend time getting to know each other better as we listened to one another’s stories. It was no surprise to me to find out that Sarah helps people through coaching at Sarah Yaw Coaching. She’s one of those who instantly makes you feel at ease and that’s essential when you’re helping people heal from trauma, deal with anxiety, or struggle with any other kind of emotional pain.
This is a beautiful and necessary work. Sarah wants us to know that healing from trauma and abuse is possible. We tend to feel isolated and hopeless in our pain. Sarah knows this well. She’s a survivor who continues to work on her own healing and wants to journey with others in theirs. Check out her website link above for more information and find out how to contact her.
A Better Place
It’s easy for us to get bogged down by all that’s going wrong. We see that some things in our world right now just aren’t working. Division abounds. Rage is common. Fear and anxiety rule. But there are beautiful people doing beautiful work and they really are making the world a better place.
