Not spending more than a dime.... Well kind off

For this project, we are encouraged to use non-traditional materials instead of the usual traditional materials such as pencils and paint, and charcoal.

We live in a country in which not everyone has the privilege to be able to buy new materials for each project. Thus they have to be very creative about what they can use as substitutes. I never want one of my students to be discouraged from taking art just because they cannot afford something. If we are creative then we can always create something beautiful.

In this project, I am challenging myself to spend the minimum money. I have created this spending log in my VIsual Journal so that I can track exactly what I bought and where I bought that item. Although this is a challenge, I know that in the end, my project will be just as amazing as if I used traditional materials.

While we are on the topic of WHERE... I have decided to support our local Hospice shop. I will be visiting Hospice when I am in need of any materials. Hospice is a charity-based organization that relies on the donations of the community. They resell the donated items at a very low price back to the community. The profit that is made from these sales goes to paying the rent and upkeep of the shops. The rest of the funds go to care for the people who are admitted to hospice care. They are usually terminally ill patients. The people who work in these shops work on a volunteer basis. It is usually elderly people who want to do something productive or students who want to keep busy during the holidays.

I chose to include Hospice in my project for a very personal reason. My family has always supported our local hospice by donating as well as making purchases. But in 2016 my grandmother was diagnosed with cancer. It was then that I understood the amazing work of this organization. Not only did my grandmother love supporting them, but they also returned the favor when she needed it. They took very good care of her and made sure that she was comfortable until the end.

This project is influenced a lot through the memory of my grandmother who not only loved tea and anything spiritual but was super artistic. She is one of the people who inspired me to pursue art. What a wonderful and crazy woman she was. Her legacy will live on through the influence that she has had on everyone.