Individual Artist Project

I have received feedback from multiple people across generations and in the realms of social work, poetry, and trauma-informed yoga that my writing has made a significant difference in the lives of people healing their trauma, in recovery from substance use or other addictions, grappling with grief from the loss of a loved one (especially due to traumatic loss - death by suicide or overdose), or general inevitable suffering as human beings. Some have stated that my work has helped them feel less alone, recognize their capacity to heal, and/or awakened their sense of strength, resilience, and wholeness. I believe artists are given unique gifts and I am honored and grateful to be a poet. It is my responsibility to share this gift for positive impact in our community and world. As I process what it is to be human and capture this experience through poetry, if sharing my poetry with others can have a positive impact I desire to expand my ability to share and reach more people who may benefit. My hope is that my poetry and this collaborative project with support community care and collective healing. ; The exhibition will be open to the public, as will the artist talk that will accompany the work. In addition, the work will include a participatory element with the potential to read or hear my poetry in combination with the visual, creating space for development of a third, combined work in the process. The hope would be to connect with our community and offer more opportunities for conversation and growth focused on healing trauma and community care as well as supporting personal well-being and the realization of wholeness. I am a successful business owner, high level manager within a government agency, author of a published collaborative work of poetry and art, and have organized and coordinated many community events. I have excellent project management and leadership skills I use daily in my management role at St. Louis County Public Health and Human Services and in my business Svalja Yoga. From these past successes I have learned the importance of clear roles and responsibilities, accurate budget forecasting, realistic timelines, clear and transparent communication, and organization as key to achieving desired outcomes. Some examples of my successes include overseeing and coordinating the St. Louis County Health and Human Services Conference held annually at the DECC with attendance of over 3000, sponsorships, vendors, keynote speakers, musicians, and multiple presenters over 3 days. Additionally, I run a Yoga Teacher Training program annually graduating 18-22 people per year for the past 6 years. ; 1. The completion and exhibition of Sarah's paintings alongside my writing, with optional surveys by attendees around the experience of the work in multiple facets. I will share the survey outcomes in my final report. 2. The development of a personal website dedicated to my writing and social media brand, presence, and strategy to share my poetry and this collaborative project. 3. The documentation of the work, and implementation of it on my website and promotional materials, in both print and digital forms. I will share an example image of this work in my final report.