"Spectrum Colors" by Josh is a 17"x21" piece created at a Hope Creates "Make Your MARC" event.

Artist Statement:
"I’ve been through a lot in my life. I try to take negative situations and turn them into positives. That’s represented by the different bright colors. I fractured my knee and to make it a positive, I’m trying to push myself to help out. I want to pitch in with cleaning up and things like that, even though I’m on crutches. 

Something unique about my painting is that I made it intentionally bright. I wanted it to stand out. It’s positive, bright, and stands out. I want my guitar to communicate that everything can change and transform into something new. 

Before, the music I listened to was mostly rap. It reflected my mood. Now I listen to what other people are playing and I can understand what they are feeling. Art and music help people know what other people are feeling. When you pay attention to other people’s art, you can empathize with them. When I paint or draw, I just get in the zone and have fun. When I get to learn guitar, it reminds me of my brother. He used to play guitar and I always thought it was cool, but I couldn’t do it. Now I definitely can. 

Doing art and music helps me just get everything I’m feeling out. If I’m talking to someone about what I’m feeling, I don’t always feel like they’re listening. But if I get it on paper, I know it’s all there. 

Before this class, I was just trying to talk to people about how I felt. Now I’ve listened to what other people share and I have other ways to express how I’m feeling. 

Meeting new people has been really good for me. Just listening to everyone’s stories was impactful. I felt like they had similar experiences to me. I was able to stop before it got too bad and I heard these stories and thought, “That could have been me.”"