WINNERS ANNOUNCED!!!

Kaleena Deann & Meghan McGrady Curtis

A big thank you to everyone that participated in helping 31Bits spread the word this weekend about what they are doing. KEEP IT GOIN!!

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WHY I LOVE 31 BITS
The 31 bits girls, their goals, their passion, and creativity have inspired me more than I have been inspired in a LONG TIME!!! The photoshoot (here & here) I did with them really changed me. Its funny how a photoshoot can do that. But it wasn’t actually photoshoot… It was the time I spent with them. I got the chance to hang out with them for the day, ask questions, and listen to their hopes and dreams for this company. AND YOU GUYS, IT’S SERIOUSLY AMAZING!! Their hearts are HUGE and full of fresh inspiration. They are just 5 normal girls that are on this journey… figuring this whole thing out… and stepping forward with faith. And the most amazing and inspiring part is that they are WILDLY SUCCEEDING. At the end of the day I was seriously ready to quit my design job and join the 31 Bits team… doing ANYTHING! Seriously!! I LOVE what I do and that is not something I take lightly. But their dreams are far beyond what my little brain can grasp. And it’s so encouraging.

Each piece of the 31 bits jewelry is handmade by one of 63 women in Uganda, using 100% recycled paper and other local materials. 31 Bits is committed to working with each woman until she has graduated from their program and attained a sustainable means of income within her own community!
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This question was asked to me in an interview recently… and it really got me thinking about art and how we use it. So I want to ask you the same question. Why do you feel it’s important for artists to use their craft for projects that impact the world for the greater good? I know the photo represents using our art in Africa. But what about in the states or in our everyday life? Why should we do that? I think it’s an interesting question because it asks why. Sometimes it’s hard to articulate the WHY, right?

I would love to read your response to that question in the comment section.

As I sat down at my computer this morning to blast out some emails… i felt prompted to share the mural that we painting while we were in Africa in August. Thinking back, It is really cool know that that we were able to leave a mark on their lives relationally and also physically on their Home.

This wall is along the front of their home, right outside the gates. I dont have a picture of it “before”, but i am sure you can imagine that it was just a very dark gray concrete wall.. with no life or love. As you can tell it is a very large wall. I have never done or organized a painting party for this size of a wall before. So this was all new to me.. but i liked the way it came out.

There were a lot of folks that helpeed on this project. Thank you to everyone! When i was given the task to cover this beast I took a few things into consideration. Number 1 was it needed to be bright, lively, and fun. Number 2, it needed to be treated like a canvas not just a painted wall, and number 3, it needed to be simple and easy for everyone to be able to help out with it.
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OH MY GOODNESS. There is so much to say about these little faces. I have decided to to a couple of blog posts just briefly explaining our time and some of the projects that we worked on while we were in kenya Africa. Gosh, it’s so great to have a blog, where I can use it like a journal at times.
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The idea of “serving someone” seems so foreign in America. The closest thing that comes to mind is a server at a restaurant. Ha ha. And that is really sad. How often do you serve someone whole heartedly without expecting ANYTHING in return?  Even servers get tips. I would assume that most of the time we expect the favor to be returned no matter who it is. And sometimes we even get a little ticked off, if it’s not fair and we worked harder than the other person. I know I dont have much to offer the world, I don’t rescue or heal the dying or the dead, i can’t cure cancer, I can’t feed all that go hungry, and I cant even take away all the pain in the world. 

But I can bring joy, love, and inspiration to life. I am very excited to serve with whatever I have. I am excited to serve humbly, selflessly, to put others before myself, and to care about people in the way that God does. I wanted to take a minute and tell you about an AMAZING opportunity that my hubby and I will get to do this coming August. We get to be the serving hands and feet of God at an orphanage in Africa. I am so excited to see, touch, play, teach art and photography to the orphans of Huruma Children’s Home in Kenya. What a cool opportunity to use my God given gifts to touch other peoples lives.

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