Haiti

I have received so many emails recently from those who are deeply bewildered and upset by the ongoing hardship in Haiti, and who would like to collaborate to raise funds for Haiti.  I myself was beyond sickened to learn of the current devastation several weeks ago. I too felt a sense of wanting to do my part, which seems like “not enough” to aid in the support of the Haitian people.  

As an art therapist I work daily with individuals who are dealing with difficult and/or traumatic circumstances.  I often find myself reflecting upon the struggles and experiences of others--and I know all to well, what it feels like to try to make sense out of the senseless.  So I wanted to share a response to the emails I have been receiving regarding the situation in Haiti and why I choose to help in the only way I know how: (please see attachment for gallery info)

My thoughts are these...For centuries, worldwide, people just like us have been brought down, ambushed, and broken by various extremes. Therefore, we all have a history of being “assulted” by various deadly hardships over the decades...and yet remember this...we have also, time and time again, perfected the knack of resurrection. We are living proof that the destroyed and hurt world around us can be restored to life again. 

In any dark time, there is a tendency to feel hopeless over how much is wrong or overwhelming in the world.  I would like to encourage all of us to not focus on that.  To not make ourselves ill with all that seems almost too impossible to take care of.  

During times of great despair, it is easy to become weakened by fixating on what is outside of our reach.  Again, we should not focus there.  We are needed, that is all we can know. Ours is not the task of mending the whole world at once, but of stretching out to help the part of the world that is within our reach.  

Any small, loving thing that one soul can do to help another soul, to assist some portion of this perpetually suffering world, will help immensely.  It is not given to us to know which acts or by whom, will cause a lasting enduring good.. but what is most needed for dramatic change is an accumulation of kind and giving acts--adding, adding to, adding more, continuing, little act by little act.  I believe that is how we can best contribute to Haiti right now.    

In my case it is through participation in small fundraising events, and the sale of art through a local  Gallery in Chicago.  It does not feel like enough sometimes, but it is exactly my part. In that spirit, I hope that you all take the time to contribute in some way however small, and know that your collective supportive energies truly will make a difference.  

Thank you and I look forward to hearing from those of you who have any additional thoughts:)

Sarah    

Power Pieces

So I have started the new year off with a brand new series called "Power Pieces."  This collection has been more or less in the making for years, but only more fully developed this past year.  


Since childhood I have experienced numerous dreams, visions, and images that encourage me to paint as a way to express/share those images.... that has led me to further explore the arts and healing and my own spirituality.  As an adult I continue to participate in a variety of spiritual/cultural research endeavors and projects.   This ongoing eclectic research and exploration  has been a way for me to not only become a more well rounded and insightful therapist, but has also allowed me to provide artwork that is highly rooted in growth, meaning, and  healing. 


As a therapist I want to focus on creating art that is able to empower people and be viewed as symbols of strength and honor. There is power in being able to create what you need, and this is an opportunity to do just that. 


Check out the new Power Piece series at :   http://sarahraskey.com/#goto=power-piece-art   enjoy!!! 

Hope everyone is having a great week and looking forward to hearing your feedback!

Sarah

Now you see it now you dont'

Fifty Artists (including myself) have been selected to participate in a group mural that will run the length of the halls at the historic Flatiron Arts building as part of the "Now you see it, now you don't" event on February 5th, 2010 .   


We are creating the mural from now until the end of January.  The mural will not be revealed to the public until 2/5/10 and will only be displayed ONE NIGHT from 6-10pm before it is painted over!!!   The transformation of the Flatiron building's iconic, labyrinth halls is a big job and I am encouraging as many "non-artists" to have fun with this and to get involed!  If anyone is interested in helping paint my section of the mural (no experience needed-this is supposed to be fun!) let me know!

Valentines Cards for Children's Hospital in Los Angeles

I am participating in a project in Los Angeles right now that is bringing love to the Children’s Hospital in L.A. for Valentines Day by putting together a card exchange for their patients. 

The hospital has a total of 320 in-patient beds, we need many artists involved to make the exchage as impactful as possible. Please let me know if you would like to become involved by creating V-day cards for the children there!

Scooter Says Thanks!

Thanks everyone for checking out my updates etc and for all of the feedback!  As most of you know, I created the Giving Gallery several years ago as a way to help financially support a variety of non for profits and organizations through the arts.  

This past December at the One of a Kind Show and sale at the Merchandise Mart was another opportunity to sell art and give 50% of proceeds to a great cause!  

I chose Angel's Gate to be the recipient of the funds raised at the One of A Kind Show and wanted to let everyone know that I just posted pics and a small write up about how those funds were utilized: (aka a special needs puppy named Scooter who lives at Angel's Gate, who was in need of an eye surgery)  

If you want to take a look at the story and view the Angel's Gate video...scoll to the news section of:

http://sarahraskey.com/#goto=news-and-events

I began working with Angel's Gate several years ago, and I have two special needs puppies myself...I know first hand how much work and how rewarding caring for special needs animals can be.... to see what Angel's Gate has taken on is truly inspirational and definitely a cause near and dear to my heart!  

Hope everyone has a wonderful and safe weekend...and I will be in touch soon!

Sarah

Running on heART : BLOG POST June 19th, 2009

We are BACK!

Well we are back from our cross country road trip to raise awareness and funds for an open art studio located in Uptown Chicago! An overwhelming trunk full of stories and memories later, as well as several near death experiences-we are no worse for the wear! We have decided though that being lost in the mountains at night (as we were for hours on a couple of occasions) is inherently how this project has felt -filled with twists, turns, dark gravel roads vs glimmers of light, needing to ask for directions, being unsure, being rained on, overcoming fear, questioning why anyone would agree to this in the first place, calling in to lifelines for help, being brave, sending up a few prayers and eventually finding our way.

Oh, and not to mention we had many car glitches (aka hitting a median, overheating in Death Valley on our way to LA, leaking mystery fluid the whole trip, and a service engine light that flickered frequently) which caused us to miss several cities and even be rained out in one while missing a handful of tornado warnings while passing through towns! These types of setbacks also led to us missing the mark in terms of our fundraising goal by quite a bit................ now I know it must seem like I am doing an awful lot of whining and focusing on the negative over here but my point is that there were many many times where it looked like this project was dead in the water, game OVER, better luck next time.. over. done. over.... and aside from our understandable discouragement at times... we never really believed that it was over... in fact even in the face of some really miserable obstacles (for instance a humongous garbage can completely melted to the underside of our car on day two) we believed that we would make it all the way to California..... and we did.

I have had to think long and hard about the project in terms of all of the "now whats" since we are far from our fundraising goal. While that part of the equation feels like failure- I am reminded that often times part of how we stand in our own way of finding meaning in what matters most is our inability to objectively look at how we define success. Now I know that what we did with the project financially thus far is not enough to allow for the studio to stay open, and that part stings...alot. But I also know better than to ever count anything out. Running on heART was an amazing journey that relied heavily on the help of many unfamiliar yet extraordinary people! During our travels we had countless genuine interactions with people and were able to share and listen to so many stories about how art and music have changed lives. We were also given the opportunity to inform so many people about how open art studios provide a stage for these types of experiences and how they benefit community members, especially those marginalized due to mental, physical, or socioeconomic differences.

We have had an overwhelmingly positive response to the project and there are tons of people interested in helping to continue to assist this studio. The support the studio needs may not come about quickly but I do believe that sometimes it is just as important to be a ripple in the pond that gets things going. Our efforts always matter and make a difference on some level to someone and to ourselves-probably more than we even know regardless of how critical our internal dialogue can be at times.

As it stands the open art studio continues to be scheduled to close at the end of the month. There may be a possible last minute closing event here in Chicago before the summer is up, but it is only a tiny tiny thought right now.

So Running on heART is just the first installment of a string of social activism events/projects that pair music and the visual arts together in order to advocate for programs and people in need. After attending the rally at the Thompson Center today it is possible that our work is far from done and we are even debating purchasing another "art car" for future events as we have already donated the original car in Laguna.

Please stay tuned, collaborate with us, donate, advocate, spread the word, reach out, care, etc etc- help keep the spirit of this project alive and well. If the studio closes those involved will only have to fight that much harder to get it back. Please remember how much this studio means to the participants and the people who were wise and brave enough to start it and believe in it. The Running on heART project has definitely reminded me that I have a few unshakable beliefs myself... I believe that that is better to have risked than to have never tried at all..I believe that when the good of people stand behind a worthy cause that that is all you really need and that eventually positive change will occur...I believe that silver linings can be disorientating but a necessary evil, I believe a touch of creativity paired with a bit of senselessness:) and heart will go further than most attributes typically associated with strength or power in matters that involve true value, I believe in the scraggliest of underdogs, and I believe in the power of art.

Thank you, thank you, thank you -to all who have helped support the Running on heART project!
Sarah

Running on heART : BLOG POST June 12th, 2009

Boulder Believes in ART! Posted by Megan Raskey

After very little, but MUCH needed sleep at the Santa Fe Hotel, we were forced to get up and get going! However, we let the sock monkeys sleep in because they are SO Crabby in the morning! In route to Colorado, we were happy to hear that our trip would only be 6 hours today! Also, the weather in Santa Fe/Colorado was much more bearable than Dallas, which also lifted our spirits. Stopping at Subway for some “breakfast” I was amazed to find out that they offer guacamole for your sandwich! What a great idea! Only in Santa Fe!

As soon as we got in the car, it was time to do our Pod cast. Feeling anxious to tell the story of our near death experience from the night before, we were excited for today’s show. During our show we also discussed how I had thought that I saw a deer in Santa Fe. Yet, I was informed by our producer, Andy Hannon, that there are no deer in Santa Fe. So I think I may have discovered a new species? However there are some deer in Santa Fe…large plastic ones outside of a Gas N Go in the middle of nowhere. Twit pics to come of the newly discovered Santa Fe deer….By the way, I have never seen so many cows just roaming around for miles, and I began to wondering how do people keep track of them?...and if one got away, would anyone notice?

As the beautiful scenery went rolling by outside my window, we were eager to get to Boulder Colorado where we would be staying with my cousin Erin and her two kitties Jaxson and Max. For the first time of the entire trip, we did not get lost!!! Once we were ready for the event, we headed to Pearl Street of downtown Boulder. As soon as we were in route, Mother Nature made herself known once more. By the time we arrived at Band on the Bricks, it was a torrential downpour! Disheartened, we headed to The B Side Lounge to weigh our options. Here we were greeted by a familiar face! Our cousin Billy and his wife Salina joined us for some well earned Margaritas! After awhile, we decided that we would peruse the bar in search of the spirit of Boulder and make due with our weather situation.

Before long, the car was teeming with local Boulderites all ready to put their artistic print on the car! We even provoked the interest of a local photographer! It was very moving to see the way that everyone was willing to come out and support the cause. Realizing the long day ahead of us on Thursday, we were forced to pack up the paint and head for bed!
Special Thanks to The Bed and Breakfast of Erin Andrews- Best 2am whole wheat spaghetti in town! We are now off to Salt Lake City!

Running on heART : BLOG POST June 11th, 2009

Santa Fe Believes in ART! Posted by Megan Raskey

We woke up this morning, rather reluctantly, at the Springfield Hyatt in Dallas. Knowing that Santa Fe was a good 11 hours away, we ate breakfast as fast as we could and got on our way! This trip in particular proved to be the hottest one yet! The temperature in Dallas was a stifling 95 degrees! Which meant that the inside of the car was about 199 degrees. After a much needed Slurpee stop, we picked up a barrel of ice and spent the remainder of the trip soaking in ice puddles….Due to the unbearable weather, we were forced to do our live radio Pod cast from the parking lot of the Nuttin Fancy Café known for their Fried Pork Chop Cobbler. Jake told them that he had driven all the way from Chicago for a taste, and tried to order some to go. However, they must have been out because they kept telling him they didn’t have any?

Continuing on our journey, we were anxious to get to Santa Fe where we were scheduled to arrive at the Cow Girl at 7pm. Who knew that a few missed exits later we would find ourselves at a gas station weighing the options about getting back on track to Santa Fe….do we trust the locals and drive up into the mountains to save a ½ hour? OR do we go back to the last missed exit and waste a half hour? Jake had another plan. His plan was to hide in the bushes and Cry since we had been lost all day and leaking mystery fluid while our service engine light flickered. After much persuading by Sarah and I, we decided to pull Jake out of the pushes and go with option B: Back Tracking…..This we thought we spare us from driving through the mountains in the pitch black night…..We were wrong.

At about 8:30pm, we were on our way back to the elusive exit and losing sunlight-Fast! We were already and hour and a half late for our event, and we still had an hour of driving ahead of us! Before long we realized the situation that was upon us. In the mountains, exhausted and deflated from a now 13 hour drive, we were still 40 miles outside of Santa Fe and it was pitch black the whole drive through the mountains! Many gasps of horror, a few fights, and one prayer later we FINALLY arrived at Hotel Santa Fe…..Jake got out and kissed the ground as Sarah and I raced to the hotel to check in and change as quick as possible.

We finally arrived at the Cow Girl at 11pm!!!!! Realizing our “punctuality” we took a quick look around and got to work. We were received very well as the patrons of the Cow Girl are very out going and enthusiastic. Before long we had inspired the entire bar to paint the car. The patrons at Santa Fe were perfect for this type of project!

We had people standing on car and even one guy who fell off and smashed his head on another cars bumper. He was fine, he was just a little covered in paint and what was left of his self esteem. Bill, one of the owners of the Cow Girl, even came out to make his mark! He also donated some stickers, a hat, and some thong unna-wears to the cause! Thanks Bill! By 2am, it was time to get home and get to the technical part of the event, editing video, and posting pics. We were So Tired!

Thanks Santa Fe for Believing in ART!!!! and we are off to Boulder!

Running on heART : BLOG POST JUNE 10th, 2009

First 48 Hours! Posted by Megan Raskey

Just to recap…We kicked off the trip last night in Wicker Park at The Flatiron Arts Building! Thanks to all the artists who came out to help paint the car! The following morning we finally began our cross country journey at 7am! Since leaving Chicago we have hit a median, been rained on, had a few fights, a few laughs, and gotten lost (a few times) All in all it has been an adventure. However, I must say that when I signed on for this trip I was under the impression that we had AC, a CD player, directions, and at least a few hours of the day to sleep. I was wrong. I am getting the feeling that these minor details may have been left out on purpose.

Our first event started this afternoon in St. Louis. We were very excited and anxious to get started, but were beginning to realize that the weather did not share in our enthusiasm. Nevertheless, for the few hours that we were dry, we had a blast! Regardless of the threatening skies, we had many people interested in painting the car and getting involved. Even Brooke Foster and Rachael from the Turner Center art studio met us at the event to show their support. All in all it was a successful event. It is just too bad that mother nature had different plans…..But still, St. Louis believes in ART!

After leaving St. Louis, our journey continued on towards Kansas City MO where we were set to pair up with the Power and Lights District and their Blues Festival. Parked outside the Kansas City Chiefs arena, our event began. Emerged in the festivities, participants were feverishly working on all different parts of the car, anxious to share in the fun! We even managed to stir the interests of a couple of local firemen who were happy to show their support by allowing us to take pictures with their fire truck! Karen Willis, a woman living in Kansas City even approached us to share how art is the only thing in her life that has ever made her feel alive, and that she has used it for many years as a way to take care of herself while dealing with her depression.

After the event, we headed over to Raglan Road Irish Pub where we were greeted with excellent service and a well earned cold beer. Raglan Road by the way is one of the most impressive Irish Pubs we have ever visited and a definite must see! We were able to wrap up the event there while yet again being poured on! We headed back to our very welcoming and comfortable room at the Q Hotel and Spa and began editing! What a day.

Still Running on heART,
Megan

Running on heART : BLOG POST JUNE 7th, 2009

Where your heART on your sleeve

Well it is over 24 hours into the Running on heART project and we are back in our room at the Q Hotel and Spa in Kansas City, Mo. WHERE TO START!!! Trying to plan 13 events across the country in less than a week is not only crazy...but it definitely is a simultaneous energizing and taxing experience. The week prior to the Project going live there were numerous anticipated ups and downs...and on many levels those elements continue to keep us on our free spirited toes. It has been really surprising to see where the support is coming from for the project and how unlikely some of our sources have been.

This project continues to be a learning experience for all of us involved and has consistently pushed us far our of our comfort zones. Visiting unfamiliar places and talking to strangers and trying to convince them to support not only the arts, but the populations they are benefiting. We have had to get really good at stomaching rejection one minute and in the next moment be present enough to enjoy an overwhelming amountof encouragement. It is interesting how the same things that nurture us can also deplete us at times.

I look at the three of us tonight...on 4 hours of sleep, being heavily rained on most of the day, driving 9 hours in a car with no AC, getting lost, getting minimal donations in some cities, and now watching the TV weather reporter who is updating us on the tornado warning here in Kansas City. I know this whole scenario seems bizarre to most people...and in many ways it is. Having said that, there is a bigger picture here. It becomes more about evaluating what is important to us and why. It becomes more about how do we spend our time and what do we invest ourselves in. For many people like ourselves, I think projects like Running on heART represent simple yet extraordinary beliefs. The belief that sometimes it is necessary to go to greater lengths or be willing to take risks to protect what is important not only to ourselves, but to us all.

Best,
Sarah and the Running on heART team

Running on heART : BLOG POST MAY 28th, 2009

Ride this thing till the wheels fall off?

Well here goes nothing as we are almost one week away from our adventure to 13 cities in 7 days to raise awareness for open ART studios. As a therapist I am pretty far removed from anything internet related but since this is such a time sensitive cause and in need of so much support, in the last two weeks I have had to dabble in twitter, facebook, myspace, film editing, etc etc....and as of today my first blog! So bare with me as I am fumbling around with all of this:)

So far we have had only two weeks to work on the Running on heART project...but we do have a very lovable car that will let us drive it cross country while being decorated in every city! We will finally be donating our "art car" to a great cause once we reach California! (We have named the car Betty to ensure she will have several theme songs... including but not limited to Black Betty and Betty Davis Eyes:)

What else....Having had to throw so much together in such a short amount of time has been really challenging, but we know that this will benefit so many people and organizations! We are really excited and have already met so many amazing people who are willing to be a part of this crazy journey with us!!!

Please learn more and help support the Running on heART project by visiting:

http://www.giveforward.org/RunningonART

"I hope that my achievements in life shall be these -- that I will have fought for what was right and fair, that I will have risked for that which mattered, and that I will have given help to those who were in need... that I will have left the earth a better place for what I've done and who I've been."

-Art Hoppe