Oh, October...

With my fabulous friend, Ashley.

 This month has had its obstacles. I am finally past them and hope I can learn from them and continue to grow as a freelance artist and illustrator. As I spent my weekend wandering around Durham after a couple of long workdays, I found myself living in the moment. I put all of my worries aside and just went with the flow, which was needed. This Third Friday, the Carrack held the Red Dot Community Art Exhibit. I donated a few pieces and joined for an evening of food and festivities with a group of happy, art-loving people.
  Saturday, Ashley and I met up at Mercury Studio to view the art installations now on display dowtown as part of the Durham Storefront Project. It's a lovely space, I must say (that was my first time visiting). We did not let the daunting rain clouds or the periodic drizzle stop us. We even got to enjoy the beauty of a setting sun and rainbow in the sky before splitting. Ashley headed off to the Carolina Theater for the showing of Inequality For All, and before I could reach my car, the sound of live drums caught my ear. The sound was also coming from the theater, which happened to be the location of the African American Dance Ensemble (AADE)'s Home Show the night before and something was telling me to walk in. Of course I had to buy a ticket first.

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Proof.

Dr. Douglas-Hamilton presenting.

    To my surprise, this presentation was not for the celebration of dance. It was for the discussion and raising of funds to stop the killing of African elephants, presented by Save The Elephants (STE) and AADE. It featured a talk from Dr. Iain Douglas-Hamilton, heartbreaking photographs and videos, and an AADE dance performance choreographed specifically for the night by Dr. Charles "Chuck" Davis. I was moved and felt like there was a reason I randomly decided to attend (other than having nothing else to do and a $20 bill in my wallet). I ended up sketching some elephant art. My next post will be about what I made, but for now, here is a PSA from Yao Ming. This was just one of the horrifying visuals used to tell the story behind the event (they were all pretty graphic - sorry). I just had to share.

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Side note, I was pretty bummed that I missed AADE's show, but I did find a little bit of footage from it. Maybe when my lifestyle changes as I start earning more income I'll be able to afford dance classes again. I really hope so. Anyway, catch Lengen below from AADE's Homeseason. Enjoy!