A MESSAGE FROM THE FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

By sharing our meaning of ‘good’ through art, we create a more empathetic, positive and connected world.

The inspiration for The Simple Good (TSG) came from my own experience of overcoming adversity which was inspired by art and world travel. I was born without a left hand, a woman and a person of color and because of this there was a lot of doubt, shame, and oppression towards my aspirations – simply because of how I was born. Having any of these characteristics was not something I constantly thought about, therefore it was never a barrier for me, but I realized others had set limitations on my possibilities because of it. I learned that perceptions can both create and eliminate obstacles, so we must be mindful of the way we perceive ourselves & others.

I gained unique opportunities to travel at a young age which allowed me to witness the different forms of resilience that exist, giving me an opportunity to see beyond my own challenges. During my time volunteering in India, I saw children who had been through so much during their short period of time on this earth had the ability to acknowledge the small, good things in their lives – beauty in others and how it surrounds them – which fostered hope and resilience because they knew goodness existed in this world. It changed my life, the way I viewed myself, what I could do and who I would become.

I want to connect youth to a world beyond their own so that they can be inspired by examples of hope and resilience, just like I was. TSG is dedicated to creating environments that encourage positive self-esteem, self-worth, and empathy towards others. We work to foster individual purpose and accountability to one another, and through this we decrease the global risks of violence and create peaceful environments for everyone.

TSG was born through friends who captured their moments of joy across the globe and it ended up taking on a life of its own as The Simple Good Blog. We started with 52 photos – and then the world responded. The blog went viral and we received stories of hope from all over the world and connections were made across cultural, socio-economic and geographic barriers. It was clear to me that this collection of positive stories would be the most impactful to children in order to provide inspiration and possibility towards a better future for all of us.

And that is how our TSG Art Program was birthed. It was one small realization of what ‘good’ meant to me which led to a global movement of providing a powerful SEL & Mindfulness based art program that has now spanned the globe to evoke hope and activism from our youth. Imagine what could happen if we all could find what the simple good means to us and use it to better the world? Together, we can really change the world – and it all starts by you finding your meaning of the simple good.

I’m excited to have you a part of this movement 🙂