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It's In the Bag!

At a time when arts organizations and extra-curricular activities are considered "frills," Create Now! knows the value of the arts is far-reaching, changing the lives of thousands of youth. The impact of our work can be seen in the case of 16-year old Shay, a resident at Vista Del Mar, a facility for abused, neglected, abandoned and orphaned youth near Culver City. Shay came to Vista eight months ago. "I came here with a very, very nasty attitude," she said. "My foster mom and social worker recommended Vista. I really wasn’t comfortable with it but I thought ‘Hey, if it will help me then I’ll do it.’"

Shay got involved in the after-school arts programs soon after arriving. Shay as well as other girls created a strong bond with one art teacher in particular, Hilary Sloane, a mentor from Create Now! through our partnership with Vista del Mar, as part of our Take heART! program.

Through Freddy and Ma, a company that sells high-end purses online, Create Now! arranged for the Vista students to enter a contest to design fabric for a purse. "I didn’t know what to do so I just sat there for like 10 or 20 minutes and kept thinking boys…girls…" Shay says. "The colors I kind of mixed in a personal way because half of my friends are gang bangers and they have certain colors, red and blue. The blues don’t get along with the reds and the reds don’t get along with the blues, so I was thinking, ‘Why don’t we just mix them together.’ So I started drawing and came up with the design in just one session."

Shay won the contest and the purse she designed is featured on the Freddy and Ma website. A percentage of the proceeds of the sale of the purses will be split amongst Create Now!, Vista del Mar and Shay. The attention Shay has received from the project has been a mixed blessing. "Sometimes I like it and sometimes I don’t," says Shay. "When I was a little girl, I didn’t get much attention… not even from my father. Now that I’m getting attention from a lot of people it’s a little overwhelming."

Shay is proud that she hasn’t "caught a major attitude" since she’s been at Vista and only gets angry now "once in a blue moon." Her classmates say that her smile is contagious. "I am much happier now… not as angry," says Shay. "In here it’s like my attitude has calmed down. The people who work here are role models for me… really positive people."

Creating art and experiencing success has also helped her change and mature. "I’ve seen lots of changes in these kids," says art mentor Hilary Sloane. "Art calms you down and focuses you. This is a safe place where they are not criticized. It provides an outlet for a lot of emotions." Create Now! congratulates Shay and Hilary Sloane for all their success.