08 We Created a Camp!
Week 08 of 2024: I have met so many adults that proudly say they have no skill. They say, “I’m not good at anything”. Identifying skills early in life saved my life and I absolutely love helping others identify what they are truly gifted at. Art was one of the first things that I identified as a true and natural ability of mine. I could draw whatever I could see in my elementary days. I was so shy though! I didn’t want the attention, so I would only draw around my family and close friends. By the time I was in high school it was all that I did. I got tired of sitting on the bench on sports teams. Yes, I sucked at sports. Then my art got me a full ride scholarship to college. This wasn’t so bad after all. This is one of the reasons that my family and I started Uncle Art Camp. We didn’t want our kids struggling with identity in adulthood. We would expose them to all things creative and help them find self-value. We focus on art but also have digital media components, outdoor sports, gardening, and they even learn automotive. There should never be anybody or any situation that can make them feel devalued, depressed, or like they have zero self-worth. Even now after 3 years of the summer camps, we see how they reach out to each other and have formed a fraternity of sorts. I remember when I felt the most alone hours away from home in college, I would work on my art in common areas. I still did not like talking much, but I loved making art! I would welcome the comments, conversation and even the critiques. By the of the day, I would feel needed and necessary. I could feel a strong sense of purpose and the lonely, dark feelings would slip back into the shadows. I’m honored that we have a way now to give back. I don’t take it for granted that parents trust us with shaping the future of their kids. Every year during the week of the 4th of July, we gather 10-25 kids, and we spend a week with them. Most stay overnight and we teach them, create with them, cook for them, play games with them and pray that by the time they return home, they are ready to enter the school year with an energized outlook on life!
