The world that I
grew up in is not the world that I'm living in.
The way that a person is constantly making more money than their parents
having more things, or this illusion of a pinnacle
that doesn't exist.
(emotional music ♫)
I came out here to take care of my father right before the pandemic.
He ended up passing and then the pandemic happened
and I lost my job.
Being homeless,
my car's been broken into, my bikes have been stolen.
All of these things, I kind of try to keep on the outside of that.
Being able to do art,
being able to express myself, to be able to feel like, that I'm not to be edited
in any capacity is very important to me at this point.
Do I to have to make it round again?
Nope, just go ahead and throw it down just like it is.
That's okay.
Nice.
What Path with Art did for me was change,
I am.
I am an artist.
I am an advocate.
I am happy.
I am content.
I am.
Path with Art’s mission is to restore individuals, groups and society
from the effects of trauma
through arts, engagement and community building.
And I think equally important is our vision.
We envision a world where the arts are recognized as transformative.
Connecting the individual with self, self with communities,
and communities with society.
And in that world the arts are available to everyone.
So we connect over 60 social impact organizations from
permanent supportive housing,
to transitional housing, mental health providers, veterans groups,
and the people that they serve
their clients, their patients, their residents to arts engagement.
And we do that by hiring and training over
50 teaching artists in the principles of trauma informed care.
Let's start with our clap.
(synchronized group clap)
Oh, okay.
That was sharp.
All right, well welcome everybody for our second class.
So we talked last week about playing with words, right?
Anybody do any thinking about that?
Anybody? - We got it, love.
We got it, hope.
We got the pain.
We got it., Change. - Okay, I like it.
This class is called Songs and Soundscapes,
Collaborative music production.
- One bar C,
one bar G.
And often we’ll have another,
(guitar strum)
bar of D.
And we’re right back to the top.
- I wanted to see what would happen if we got a group of people who love music
and really come into the room
with no preconceived notions of what we're going to create.
Write a song from scratch, and then go through the whole process
of recording the song, mixing, mastering,
and releasing a song.
(guitar strumming)
If you make a recording and put it out into the world,
it's a milestone. You've begun and you finish something positive.
(singing ♫) Tears of expression. You gotta dig deep.
This is my jam and I’m singing for you.
Flowers show love,
also sadness you see,
acceptance,
gratitude, earthly peace.
(cheers)
( playing bass guitar ♫)
I grew up in the Big Apple, Spanish Harlem.
Every time we rode in the car anywheres
and I just sing and I mean,
and music (snaps fingers twice)
okay.
The books is another story, but when it came to music,
I can remember every word, you know, every melody, every song.
(singing ♫) Hey, yeah ... all right.
I was living in a subsidized Plymouth housing facility,
and through Path with Art, I started out painting with Pam Hansen.
Acrylic portrait painting.
Up at the Frye Museum, which was an amazing experience.
Yeah it was really, really inspiring.
I've had a neck fusion.
C2 to T2. Almost died in 1990.
Auto accident, front seat passenger, myself
and the driver passed away.
So that was the last time I sang until
this opportunity, really.
You know, that's why this is really special to me.
(singing ♫) All the mundane things
I've been through.
So this is my gratitude.
- This year,
we're on track to serve over 60 social service
agency partners, from veterans groups to residential transitional housing,
mental health support services, and 1300 individuals.
And I will tell you that our participant artists are some of the most generous
people I've ever encountered and the most courageous.
And they have dealt with lots of challenges,
but they overcome them and have tremendous grace
and just want to give back.
(emotional piano music ♫)
I made a decision this past summer that I would live in my passions,
and I had passion for photography from like day one.
This outdoor exhibition is part of the flag program,
the free library program.
And I did some pinhole photography.
So this is some of the work for everybody in Seattle to be able to share.
I want people to look at the art, be provoked, have inspiration,
have aspirations, and just see that you can do anything you want from nothing.
Art is all in us and how do you get it out for other people to see?
(emotional piano music ♫)
I have been able to witness people
starting like this in a protective posture
and their body language,
their whole sense of agency changes.
It doesn't happen overnight.
It doesn't even happen in four weeks, but I have seen it happen
over the course of a year, over the course of two years.
And it is, it is a tremendous thing
to witness.
- I think throwing on the wheel demands attention,
demands presence.
It's a moment in time where you can have a moving meditation where
you can not have to think about or worry about
what's been happening in your life.
Art is a powerful means of expression, and I think that's so important
in the realm of healing because you're able to express yourself
and get out your feelings and your thoughts and your ideas.
And I find that I immediately
see the difference in a student’s ability
to have higher self esteem, to be amazed with themselves, with what they create.
- Okay
- And as a teacher, I don't think there's
anything better than seeing something like that,
from your students.
- What if there was no money in the world?
What if there was justice?
What if we were seen, heard, acknowledged and lifted?
What if we didn't have traumas, hurts or even what ifs?
What ifs, we are our what ifs.
Before Path with Art,
I didn't have a sense of who I was.
I didn't have a way to defend myself.
I didn't have a way to express myself.
I didn't have a way to be myself.
And now I am an artist.
I am a photographer.
I am a wheel thrower.
I am an advocate.
I am a friend.
I am a community member.
The list just keeps on getting longer.
(emotional music ♫)
They're going to send me a CD.
I wanted a copy to send my mom for Christmas.
She's 84 years old and I can't wait to send her a copy.
(music ♫)
Tears of Expression.
You got to dig down deep.
Starman playing in puddles, squishing mud between his feet.
Prepare for the magnificent, allow the mundane
and earthly attitude of gratitude.
It's the Starman’s jam.
Oh yeah.
It’s the Starman’s jam.
I say, hey.
(group singing) Just wait.
Wait until next spring.
Just wait.
Wait until next spring.
Just wait.
Wait until next spring.
Just wait.
Wait until next spring.
Just wait.
Wait until next spring.
Just wait.
Wait until next spring.
Just wait.
Wait until next spring.
Just wait.
Wait until next spring.
great
Just wait.
Wait until next spring.
Just wait.
Wait until next spring.
Just wait.
Wait until next spring.
Just wait.
Wait until next spring.