Love in Stereo, Whip Up and, Arts in the Alley

I'm so late in telling you about my guest blog post at Whip Up last week.  I interviewed my college friend Brad Montague about Love In Stereo: a movement of artists, fans and friends united together to make a global impact.  I've been so moved/impressed/amazed/excited by all that I've seen Brad and his friends accomplish this year through Love In Stereo, so I'm thrilled to get to help spread the word about this great organization.

I was especially eager to interview Brad because I've been wondering "what can I do?"  I don't have any superhuman skills or a vast fund raising network, but I'd like to help impact people for good, too.  And I knew Brad would point me in the right direction.  Since I've been working on my Nicholas Crown Project, I've begun to understand the truth of what Brad said:

It’s about addressing a need and building a community around that need.

Real impact happens when artists do more than giving and raising money for an immediate need.  It's about building a community that will continue to support that need over time. 

I reached out to all of you, my online crafty friends, first because you are the community I interact with most as a Work at Home Parent.   I treasure the connection (sanity) and inspiration (motivation) I get from all of you.  But, I realize that I need to push myself to be more a part of my real world community, too.  My compassion for children shouldn't be limited to the abstract and distant, but also for my own children, my friends' children, and the children in our community.  Especially in such small acts of compassion, like reminding a child that they're special.

As the number requests for crowns have been declining (you can still request one for a child you know!) I've been looking for more children to reach out to, and I realized perhaps I should start at home, you know?  Next Thursday, March 17, is Arts in the Alley, hosted by the Henderson Arts Commission, and I'll be there with a basketful of crowns to give away.  If you're in town, come by and pick up crowns for your kids, or take one to give to a child you know.