Goes with Story entry "The Desires of a Caregiver/Digital Artist" by Brenda Starr

1. Anything we embrace with true focus, heart and spirit…gives us
light.
I’m a caregiver and digital artist.
This is my story:
It began in the 90’s when I was desperately seeking employment and
ended up being hired at an elderly care facility for the terminally ill. I
had no experience. But I eagerly accepted the position of Activities
Assistant.
As it was my job to creatively stimulate the minds of the elderly and
dying, I attempted to stir up a spelling bee on my first day.
Many patients were incoherent, severely handicapped and some
were not. In a room of about 50 patients I asked if anyone was
interested in helping to organize a spelling bee.
An elderly, tall gentleman then stood from his wheel chair, unzipped
his pants and urinated on the hardwood floor.
“Anybody else?” I asked.
From that day I knew I had to either come to terms with what the job
involved 100% or run the other way. I never was a good runner.
I’ve always been grateful for my decision to stay, as I learned so
much about these extraordinary people. People who, without love
and attention, faced only constant loneliness, pain and trauma as
their minds and bodies slipped away a little more each day.
And as I held them, loved them and helped them to laugh, I learned
so much about myself…and what I was capable of.
That is an important reason why I’m telling my story today.
Inspiring positive change in anyone’s life is always worth it, because it
definitely reflects a spirit of light within us that ultimately nurtures and
guides us to where we need to be.
Throughout my journey as a caregiver I have also discovered a true
love of art, specifically digital art that I passionately create on
computer. Often times this involved my patient’s participation. (An
amazingly stimulating experience that has inspired me to not only sell
my art, but has also inspired me to offer a percentage of future sales
to the Alzheimer’s Association… and now perhaps drug and alcohol
recovery programs as well.)

2. With the basic use of a camera (a once owned Nikon D50) I have
been able to refine my art/photo skills. Many photographs I took on
the beautiful California central coast where I live and many of my
patients lived.
I then feature the photos and/or parts of each photograph in art
compositions created on computer using PhotoShop. With a digital
file format I can then print the art on various styled textures including,
Giclee’ canvas, hi-glossy ceramic tiles and tile murals, fabric, etc…
From this I have attempted to create a business over the last seven
years called BrendaStarrArt. However, without the initial start up
funds I’ve had a difficult time launching it successfully, especially in
these economy-challenged times. I’ve been out of work since
November 08’.
But now I find myself in a very unique situation.
After recently featuring an ad on Craig’s list offering my care giving
skills in exchange for housing, something really wonderful happened.
A woman named Kim called me and offered me a live in position as
Assistant Manager at her Drug and Alcohol recovery home in central
Ca. The home is really beautiful and so are the five girls who live
here.
They are all young women who had their children taken away by the
state when they chose some time ago to abuse hard drugs.
Importantly, they now have all made the choice to continue working
hard at changing destructive behavioral patterns and are devoted to
creating sober lifestyles for themselves and their children. They have
each earned the opportunity to live with their children here at the
recovery home under close supervision.
I’m glad to say that I now live here happily as assistant manager and
am more impressed with these girls and their progress than I can say.
What is greatly rewarding to me is the genuine interest that they have
in my digital art. They are hungry for the healing and fascination of it.
Hungry to learn!
Here is where your help would be more than appreciated. We need
cameras. I had to sell my precious Nikon D50 some months ago
when I lost my job.

3. I want so badly to share my digital art/photography skills with these
girls, Andrea, Cheryl, Corine, Michelle and Tasha. WE NEED
RELIABLE NIKON CAMERAS!!!!!! I have my ol’ Mac computer to
teach them the rest.
Please, help me to nurture, heal and unlock their creativity in ways
they may not have even dreamed were possible. They deserve this!
As I first stated… Anything we embrace with true focus, heart and
spirit…gives us light.
Please help me bring further light into the lives of these individuals
who have genuinely made the right choices in how they see life, how
they see themselves and importantly, help me to teach them how
their creative, positive choices impact others.