Art has always been a huge part of my life, as a young, queer, black girl growing up in a predominantly white area. Like many artists of color in the area, I've experimented with many forms of self-expression over the years. I wrote, I drew, I did prose, I made hemp jewelry, and I made cosmetics. At this point in my journey, I've landed on canvas art and fine wire jewelry; it connects me to my humanity and spirituality to create in these ways. It gave me a bridge to my history and ancestry, and it gave me time and a method for processing the trauma forced upon me by my society, and even better, the ability to bring value to it. 

That’s what makes art so important; it gives not just artists and adults, but children, the ability to create something positive from all the horror and sadness we are seeing in the world.

                                                                                                         -CyRhen