#WCW Appreciation Recap

For March's Women's History Month I celebrated the women in my life that motivate me to reach toward the sky when achieving my goals and uplift my community. Using the hashtag #WomenCrushWednsday or #WCW, every Wednesday I'd posted a photo of one of these ladies and their organizations. Here is a recap of the ladies and what they do.For the month of April, I will be sharing artwork in my private collection I am inspired by under the hashtag #StudioSundaysThe 2 amazing ladies who are brightening Seattle neighborhoods through youth outreach & art. I celebrate @UrbanArtworks Director Kathleen & Project Coordinator Lina (+ fellow amazing 👩‍🎨). These ladies connect community members, teaching artists, & non-profits, bringing art into the urban landscapes with a youth workforce 💪. Partnering with youth involved in the court system, they teach skills necessary to completing community service hours & readying them to join the work force. Their work not only helps participants learn skills to be successful adults, but empowers them to feel connected to their neighborhoods by giving them an opportunity to initiate change with a paintbrush. I'm absolutely in awe of each project they present & feel so proud to be apart of the art community they've created. Not only am I an artist, I’m also a graduate of the program 👩‍🎓 #UrbanArtworks #SeattleMurals #Womenshistorymonth more info;https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/creators/urban-artworksI’m celebrating Women’s History Month by sharing the most motivating women in my life for #womencrushwednesday This week I'm honored to celebrate Nancy Chang, Executive Director of @ReelGrrls RG is an organization dedicated to equipping girls with digital media to create social change. Nancy also co-counded @skatelikeagirlsea which now has chapters in Portland & SF. SLAG teaches girls skateboarding w/ clinics & workshops. She serves on the board for Water 1st & Artist Trust, supports other non-profits in their goals with meaningful partnerships, & creates opportunities for youth to really have their actions & words heard. I simply don't know how she does it. Each program she touches is golden & I love watching her participants grow into active members of their communities. I don't remember the exact moment I met Nancy, but my life & career were forever changed by her nudge to apply to the @oldfirehouse 💖 Nancy's programming has inspired countless young ladies including my own bonus daughter Mercedes to pursue their interested unabashed. I wish we could clone her & fill the schools, skateparks, sets & studios with Nancy Changs. I imagine her programming is doing just this, empowering, educating, building confidence, & propelling future leaders onto their successful paths. With so much love in my heart, I'm proud to call her friend! #NancyChang #ReelGrrls #SLAG #SkateLikeAGirl #SkateLikeAGrrl #SeattleActivists #DailyDog #OFH #LoveLiveTheChangI’m celebrating Women’s History Month by sharing the most motivating women in my life for #womencrushwednesday This week I’m honoring longtime friend, role model, boss ma, & entrepreneur @ms_meli ✨💕 Meli currently curates the music for @upstreammusicfest She started her own entertainment company @reigncity & before that Obese Productions. She’ll be the keynote speaker at @onereel Music Career Arts Day at the SAM (I was simply a panelist last month for visual arts day), & she manages talent through the torrential waves of the music industry. She was my first roommate, my art motivater, the friend that gives tough love when needed & silliness the rest. She constantly motivates me to go above & beyond expectations, shatter preconceptions of what a sole person can achieve, & maintain life long friendships even if we don't talk every day. My family adores her & most certainly love her momma @madukes206 🌸 Thank you for being such an influential woman in my life #onesevennine #womenshistorymonth #repost #meli #MelissaDarby #reigncity #seattleevents #obeseproductions #seattleartist #seattlehero #bossma #upstreammusicfestI’m celebrating Women’s History Month by sharing the most motivating women in my life for #womencrushwednesday My first heroines are the amazing ladies of @shoutyourabortion #sya works to remove abortion stigma through shared experiences. I’ve had the immense pleasure of working on several projects with them in 2017 and look forward to supporting them in 2018. A big ‘Thank You’ to the ladies who are looking out for women’s reproductive freedoms one uterus at a time ✨✌️ #wcw #shoutyourabortion #mybody #myright #noregretsjustlove #stopabortionstigma #abortshame #wholewomenshealth #onesevennine #womenshistorymonth #repost