Impact through Art
Creative Block is a weekly newsletter that gives you a glimpse into my life, creativity, design, and music. It's like a little pick-me-up that you get delivered straight to your inbox each week.
In September 2023, I had the incredible opportunity to take part in what I can confidently say is one of the most remarkable projects of my career. Through a collaboration with By Way of Dallas, we joined forces with the Scottish Rite Children's Hospital to pioneer a groundbreaking initiative – designing prosthetic devices that allow children to choose the designs they want on them. It was a profound way for these young ones to express their unique personalities through their prosthetic limbs, ultimately making them feel truly seen and celebrated.
If you'd like to delve deeper into the project and explore the incredible people who were involved, you can find more details here.
I'm excited to share the design I created and provide a glimpse of what it would look like on a prosthetic leg.
Last month I received some heartwarming news – a young girl named Elena chose my design to be printed on her prosthetic leg. Scottish Rite Children's Hospital asked me if I'd like to personally surprise her with it. When I read that message, tears of joy filled my eyes, and without hesitation, I replied with an enthusiastic "YES!" She was the first person to choose my design, and the opportunity to meet her meant the world to me.
Walking into the Scottish Rite Children's Hospital, I was overwhelmed with joy as I had the opportunity to tour the facility and witness the incredible people and cutting-edge technology that brought these prosthetic devices to life. However, the most emotional moment came when I saw my design on Elena's prosthetic leg.
Meeting Elena was a blend of nervousness and excitement. Out of all the designs she had to choose from, she picked mine. She was drawn to the colors and vibrancy, and that filled my heart with immense joy. My art resonated with her in a profound way.
This moment was especially precious to me because, as an artist who often creates work for brands and clients, I don't always get to witness firsthand the impact of my art. But that day, I not only had the honor of gifting her the prosthetic leg but also witnessing her put it on and walk. Seeing Her smile, the joy radiating from her mother and the applaud from the Scottish Rite team was an experience that warmed my soul. It’s a moment I’ll never forget. It’s incredibly humbling witnessing the real-life transformation my art can bring to someone’s life.
Elena's new prosthetic leg is not just a limb; it's an extension of her personality, a canvas for self-expression.
Art to me is meant to be a catalyst for change, a means to open eyes, heal wounds, redirect paths, spark conversations, and so much more. As artists, it's great to create beautiful things, but we should also strive to think bigger – how can our work positively impact the people in our communities? how can it make them feel seen? These are questions I will continuously ask as I create.
Elena, if you or your mom read this, you’re my hero. Thank you for inspiring me to keep going
→Quote of the week
“Replace fear with curiosity.” - Steven Spielberg
Incredible - just shared with some folks
I love everything about this!! What an amazing application of art and what a lovely design. Bravo to you, the project founders and Elena!