Like most parents, the passing of a child always seems so unfair and perplexing to me. From my perspective, it is an event in life which requires much more resilience from the family than our limited human comprehension can offer. I am encouraged and inspired by my good friends, Darin and Shannon White, who despite their loss one year ago, have committed to move forward. They have chosen to cherish the memories, celebrate the life, and work through their anger and frailty by leaning on something bigger than themselves. For these two, and their daughter Noel, their healing comes not by understanding the reason why, but by embracing the experience… They lean on something bigger than themselves, they lean on Life.

Creativity is abundant in the White home. It is a place filled with art, music, poetry, and song. And although one may not categorize every piece as joyful or gay, each piece is beautiful. Each artistic expression reveals an honest truth about life. Each speaks of weakness and strength, fear and hope, life and loss, and most importantly the necessity for love.

Beauty for Ashes…
The process of healing is different for each individual; for the Whites the process has actually taken on a physical form. An amazing portfolio of artwork has emerged as a byproduct of their healing process. This portfolio has become an arresting amalgam of works that push the viewer to find Peace through the process and hope through the trials and tears. To me, their work serves as a reminder that life is expressed through the living of it and that relationships are the greatest gifts we each have to offer.

[Show as slideshow]

 

I want to close this article by expressing my gratitude for Caden, and to thank him for the gift he entrusted us with… Caden, through your life, which included your battle with cancer, we are reminded of the joy and life each day holds despite our circumstance. You are a brave man with the heart of a Lion and the gentleness of a dove. Thank you for sharing your short well lived life with us. Congratulations on your promotion from this earth to a greater life beyond.

Caden & Family Visit My Art Gallery

Darin and Shannon White are the founders of the regional Kansas artists’ group and organization: b.a.l.m. (Beauty Art and Life Movement) whose goal is to provide a forum that centers around art and friendship, where everyone’s contribution and creativity are valued.

www.DarinWhite.com

www.ShannonWhite.com

www.HavaStudios.com

www.BeautyArtandLifeMovement.org

www.CadenWhite.com

One observation I have made is that we, as humanity, are all generative in nature. We create structures, offspring, poetry, waste, crops, etc. Anywhere you find life, you find creativity. With that in mind I would vantage to say that we create as a byproduct of life. Like CO2 is a byproduct of breathing, art is a byproduct of living. And while some may be more deliberate in their pursuit of creativity, we all still create.

I also believe that each person’s own perspective on purpose and faith come into play within this dialogue. I tend to subscribe to the old adage that an apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. It is my personal belief that we, as man, were created by a single God with intentionality. With that perspective, I believe that it is within our DNA to create. (Of course, that is simply my own view which makes up a single brush stroke within the painting of humanity.)

The one thing I do know for sure is that it is beyond my ability to avoid creativity. I find myself daydreaming about sculptures, paintings, custom cars, new furniture designs, lighting solutions, and more. Every napkin is a doorway into another dimension of thought and all I need to walk through it is a drawing utensil. I believe that many of you can relate. My hope is that we all continue to explore creativity and art. For whatever the reason, it is a driving desire that helps define us as humanity. Let’s Keep Creating!