CreateWithKindness

Ethiopia, my birthplace, is a work of art; a country of cultures beautiful, inspirational and unique in our world. Growing up, immersing myself in art was my get away from the perfect good and the perfect bad. Throughout my life, no matter where I go, whatever I do, I always found my way back to art. This made me realize art was not an escape, it is my passion. Once this became clear, I began challenging myself with different styles of art and new tools. Before I knew it, I was painting on large canvases. I began by recreating paintings I found deep,moving and meaningful which motivated me to find my own style, so I continued to explore. I felt a longing to bring forth, to bring to life my culture and what it means to me; primarily the love, respect, generosity and compassion Ethiopians have for one another. My culture has taught me to be kind, open and accepting of others. It may not always be possible to bring these qualities to each of our encounters, because the world is not always innocent. Being exposed to a number of difficult situations, I learned I had to develop a certain skill so my kindness would not make me vulnerable in a way which would be detrimental to the best in me. I had to create my own strength to get through challenging situations without losing my true self. I had to find it within me and finally understand, only I can do this for myself. At this critical moment in my life, painting has given me the opportunity to express myself. Every time I put something on my canvas, it is like discovering something new about myself and this has been a big part of my personal growth. Now I want to share my work with the world. To help people understand that what makes us vulnerable can yet be our strength. It is possible, if we look for depth and meaning with regard to what we find around us, if we simply remember to look beneath the surface, we shall find everything will change.