Create Now! Programs Information
We help kids in trouble turn their lives around
Create Now! changes the lives of high-risk and at-risk youth through creative arts mentoring, resources and opportunities.
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Take heART!
The Create Now! art program generally includes an eight-week curriculum centered primarily on an introduction to art. Youth learn how to express themselves through different media, such as watercolors, markers, clay, colored pencils, charcoal, and by using special computer software for design when available. They learn the basics of color, perspective and how various groups have represented their cultures through art. Expert artists in various fields teach our workshops, with youth creating a number of original projects. Many kids also attend art exhibitions through our Artistic Journeys! program. Some groups also engage in a community project, such as a mural on a public building or an art exhibition of the children’s work.
Featured Program: SoulCollage®
Each Tuesday evening, Marilyn Garrison has mentored at a group home
for foster youth in Inglewood. Challenged with lives of abuse and neglect,
the young women in her workshop have been legally removed from their
homes, and placed in the foster care system. Their life circumstances
are emotionally charged, often resulting in painful and unexpressed feelings.
Having worked in the Child Welfare system for over 19 years, 
Marilyn
knows the turmoil and difficulties these youth face when separated from their
family. Feelings of abandonment, fear and loss are not uncommon. Through
the process of SoulCollage® Marilyn offers these girls a non-threatening
means to share their feelings, sort out their confusion, and learn about
important aspects of themselves.
SoulCollage® is a process of self-discovery developed by artist and psychotherapist Seena B. Frost. Frequently, teens will rebel at the very thought of traditional therapeutic intervention. However, as a licensed therapist and a trained SoulCollage® Facilitator, Marilyn has introduced to them a way of introspection that centers less on talk, and more on their intuitive ability to recognize images that mirror their internal world.
Initially the girls were skeptical and guarded, indicative of issues of trust and misgivings. To ease their doubt, Marilyn openly shared her genuine motivation and desire for their emotional and healthy well being. Gradually, the girls opened up, offering glimpses of themselves through humor, dialogue and disclosures.
The focus of the weekly workshop is to create SoulCollage® cards, which are added to their personalized deck. The materials required are minimal: scissors, glue sticks, mat boards and magazines. 
Each
week, they are instructed to leisurely look through publications for
images they are drawn to. They do this activity to the accompaniment of slow and soulful music. After carefully cutting their images, they create a collage. Most often they are asked to fashion a card that reflects an aspect of their personality, for instance: “the shy one,” or “the brave one,” or the “scared one.”
These “personality” cards comprise the “Committee Suit.” Ms. Frost describes the “Committee Suit” as those inner voices of your unique soul. Other times the girls are asked to compose cards about significant people in their lives, living or dead, known or unknown. These cards represent those that guide, inspire, support and love them. Through the creation of these “Committee” and “Community” cards, the girls explore aspects of themselves, and their relationship with others.
One participant shares, "This is a great experience for a kid who has been through a lot of problems in his or her life. It is about loving yourself, and trying to release some of the negative energy in our lives. This program is a connection to the soul, and it should be featured all throughout the world. 2 love yourself is a gift." - Mary
The process has proven to be both therapeutic and insightful. What sometimes cannot be said aloud becomes visibly apparent as images are glued upon 5 x 7 boards. Time is always allowed for sharing, a critical element of the work done together. This is a time where each girl presents her creation, a part of herself that she shares with the world. This time of sharing is honored and respected. Sometimes the sharing is inspiring… sometimes heartbreaking, and always revealing. What results is a beautiful and creative piece of art depicting a part of them they are eager to know. Through this experience, these girls are learning that they each are a collage of splendid woven threads, and are learning to accept and appreciate their variety and beauty.
Recently the teens were encouraged to submit their art to the 16th annual Animagination Festival, sponsored by Youth Opportunity United. The event was held at 20th Century Fox Studio and provided a day of learning and artistic exploration. Industry professionals from all of the major animation studios, computer graphics companies, and related fields spent the day explaining what they do, sharing their career paths, and providing foster youth with the promise of an exciting and rewarding career in the visual arts through hard work and creativity. This year’s theme was “Animals” and each of these teens chose an animal most like them, and created a collage. The resulting menagerie included a lion, jaguar, monkey, butterfly and leopard. At the event, their art was prominently displayed in the student gallery. It was thrilling for these foster girls to view their creations. By their report, this event boosted their level of artistic confidence, and provided them with a feeling of accomplishment and pride.
Other Programs Highlights:
Art Unlocks Creative Young Minds