One of the tools I’ve been using during Covid and a big motivator in helping me bring Karen’s Daughter to light is The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. It’s 12 Chapters that are supposed to take a week each. However, it took me the better part of 6 months, but I’m a firm believer in going at your own pace.

There are two main pillars to this book: Morning Pages and Artist Dates. Morning Pages are mandatory 3 pages of free-form journaling every day. The idea is that in order to become unblocked as a creative, you must first get out everything that’s inside your head to start to become unblocked. On the flip side, Artist Dates are weekly “dates” you take yourself on with the premise that you’re taking in art and culture.

My first Artist Date was during Covid around the time of the George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Black Lives Matter protests. We were still in semi-lockdown so the obvious museum date for taking in art wasn’t an option as they were all closed. I decided to take a walk around my city, Oakland to look at the local art created by activists on the boarded-up storefronts. What I wasn’t expecting was to talk to anyone, let alone someone who would inspire me in ways I’m still understanding.

On my walk downtown, the streets were quiet during what should have been a busy mid-afternoon as many businesses were still closed, but a door was open to a local art gallery. Was it a coincidence I walked past an art gallery, that was open, in the middle of a pandemic, on my first artist date to find art? I’ve been around this world long enough to know that there are no coincidences.

Now mind you, this was literally the first place of business I attempted to go into during Covid times that wasn’t the grocery store or an essential need. There was a gentleman playing piano talking to another gentleman and an older woman chatting. I asked if I could come in, not knowing Covid protocol, and they were very welcoming. I used the hand sanitizer at the door, and of course, I was wearing my mask.

I was ecstatic that on my first adventure out and my first Artist Date, I came across a local art gallery with an exhibit by a local artist. As I was taking my time walking by each piece, someone came up and started talking to me. First, I was startled, and second, I’m not sure I’ve talked to anyone in public for 2 months with the exception of people at the grocery store and my husband. I figured out this person was the artist and we had a delightful conversation about his work, the exhibit, and general Covid life in these times.

Then, as I was speaking with the artist about his work, a little man came up and handed me this work of art.

I knelt down to his height and said “Thank You” and that’s the moment I met Nicolas, about a 7-year old black child who made this artwork for me, a random white woman who walked into his art gallery.

I asked Nicolas to tell me about the picture he drew for me. He told me this is a picture from his friend’s farm and proceeded to tell me all about the animals and his time there. Can you see the mouse going into his house? I asked Nicolas a few more questions and then just as quickly he arrived, he was off again, presumably to create more art. I finished speaking with the exhibiting artist, continued my walk around the gallery, and said goodbye to Nicolas before I walked out the door with this art proudly in my hand.

There was and is still so much to unpack in my brain from this 20-minute stop at an art gallery on a random Wednesday afternoon, but these are the most important parts that I needed to see.

Nicolas is:

the human reminder of why the Black Lives Matter protests were and are so important.

the human reminder for why I decided to start this website.

the human reminder to do all that I can to make sure Nicolas doesn’t become a statistic.

the human reminder that I absolutely have lived a life of privilege simply by being white.

the human reminder that children really do learn prejudices.

the human reminder that as adults, we need to do better for future generations.

the human reminder of the countless lives lost to police brutality and racism were kids like Nicolas, who just wanted to draw and talk about their experiences in the world.

This piece of art has been placed on my desk as a daily reminder that I can show up and be better in this world for Nicolas, a human who deserves a chance to make his mark in the world.

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I also wanted to share some of the beautiful art I saw on this walk after I met Nicolas.