CONNECTEDkind

Nature + Art + Positivity movement created to foster resilience and wellness and celebrate the unlimited potential of shadows and our own imagination. A drawing exercise to pass the time and stay connected and “connect the dots”. A creative practice encouraged by Leonardo Da Vinci. Self-guided art therapy session in the world of social distancing. An invitation to imagine new alternatives and ways of staying grounded, kind and present in the times of uncertainty. A reminder to be curious about the world within and beyond. An invitation to engage in art as play: unconditionally and with joy.

Why now

CONNECTEDkind was born from a sense of urgency (a bit of panic) and strong belief in the healing powers of art, kindness and connection - on the day I heard about the school closures in our community (on March 14, 2020) due to COVID-19. The first PDF was made that night as an antidote to fear and anxiety. I suddenly realized that at this time of crisis I needed to share my way of drawing with the world. I have been making shadow cutout drawings every day for the last 2 years, but only when I started teaching this, I discovered that we all can do this- and that it has the power of changing the way we see the world. I also saw my shadow cutouts as a metaphor: now that we all find ourselves in quarantine- cut off/cut-out from our own context and communities, we are required to redefine and reimagine our lives, including the ways we can stay connected. CONNECTEDkind is a way to remind us that all we need, we already have around us. We simply need to draw it out!

Hear from founder

Every tuesday updating you in person on “the spread”, “the curve”, the growth of CONNECTEDkind. If you haven’t yet received Issue 01 (the free PDF with 12 shadow cutouts)- find it at www.connectedkind.com . . My name is Laura Belevica and I’m an artist and founder of CONNECTEDkind. On march 14, 2020 I started sharing my way of making art with the world as a way for us all to stay connected in this unprecedented time and build a more resilient community around art making, creativity and kindness. Honestly, this whole idea was a bit scary: to just simply let this live its own life, but now I think it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. As a professional, and as a member of art community, as a human being. The variety of artwork coming back, the feedback and overall response has been amazing and incredibly inspiring. How can I stop there? And so- we are growing and this (Founder Tuesday idea) is the best way I can think of to keep you all in the loop. So now- once a week- every tuesday- I am dropping by to provide you with a “briefing”.

Hello!

I’m a Latvian artist, filmmaker, architect and teacher living in Los Angeles. My mentor Glenn Vilppu taught me that drawing is a way of thinking, a way of seeing the world. CONNECTEDkind is my way of giving back, my gift I share with joy. A method of drawing I use in my own art practice that hopefully will inspire and empower you, too. Afterall, we all have seen things in the clouds and we all drew as children. - LAURA BELEVICA

Shadow Storyteller

AVAILABLE FOR SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS ON SUBJECTS OF IMAGINATION, CREATIVITY, DESIGN THINKING, SHADOW STORYTELLING, THE POWER OF ART…

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