Excerpt from “Painting with a Purpose”

The next day was dark and gloomy, and storm clouds filled the sky. The rain began to pour, and the sounds of thunder filled the house. The bright strike of lightning was the last thing they saw before the house went dark. The storm caused the power to go out. This meant their only entertainment was gone. No power meant no TV, and playing outside was out of the picture.

 Ella and Eli decided to go check out the toys in the basement. They sorted through it and were not surprised that everything in it was broken or out of batteries. Ella looked around and saw an old case covered in dust. She called Eli over when she discovered it was filled with their grandma’s old paintbrushes and art supplies. Ella ran up to get her notebook and the two of them dumped the supplies out on the floor. The paints were dried up and crusted. That case must have been sitting for years, but the two were excited to have something different to play with.

 Ella managed to get enough paint out of the old tube and smiled with excitement as she began to glide her brush on the paper. Her favorite flowers were lilies, so she decided to start by drawing a beautiful bundle of them. She quickly jumped back when the unexpected happened. Her eyes grew big as she watched the painting begin to bloom and rise from the paper. The stem stuck straight up and white petals began to pop up one by one. She leaned in to get a better look when the sweet scent of the flower caught her attention. The painting she drew blossomed into the beautiful bouquet she had imagined. She stood quickly, looking around for Eli. She turned around to see his mouth wide open and a surprised look on his face. Neither of them could understand what just happened. Had they just discovered a paint brush that brings art to life? Were they dreaming?

 Eli ran over next to his sister and pulled out a page from her notebook. He quickly dipped the brush into the paint and began to scribble down a small red racecar. He stood back and watched as four tiny tires popped up and shortly after the rest of the toy car came together. Just like his painting, he was holding a red toy racecar with black racing stripes lined across the small doors. The lights flickered and turned back on. They heard their mom calling for them, and the two put the paints and brushes back in the case, closed it up, and hurried upstairs.

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Embracing Confidence:

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The Power of Place: How Our Hometown Shapes Our Identity