BUILDING COMMUNITY
POWER OF POETRY
“I don’t just wait around to die. The hour with you is one of my favorite times.” A resident in a long-term nursing and rehab facility where I volun- teer teaching art classes recently shared this with me. The walls and doors of his room are adorned with his paintings. How did I react to this proclamation? First with a tear or two, and then with a deep ap - preciation for how the arts profoundly impact our lives, regardless of age or circumstances. In a classroom setting, when greeted by individuals in their 80s or 90s, I am filled with joy at the opportunities that lie ahead. As we age, our bodies and minds may not function as they once did, leading some to feel disengaged or discouraged. I focus on watercolor classes be- cause they cater to various skill levels. Any of my students can pick up a brush and bring their creativity to life. So, why is art so important? It celebrates our life experiences and creates a space for new possibili- ties. A painting of a vase of flowers is not just about the vase of flowers. Entering an art room requires courage and self-knowledge. Our life experiences reflect the reasons for entering the art room. Some students may not have touched a brush in 70 or more years, and they come to learn something new, or simply to relearn. Others recall a negative art experience and want to turn it around. Once, a 99-year- old woman asked me not to judge her painting too harshly: “I just took up this hobby last week.” Indeed, there is never any judgment in our time together. When people put themselves first and show up for an activity new to them, they create a positive structure in their day. They have something to look forward to — a sense of community and belonging. While we focus on the task at hand, new experiences emerge. Peo- ple sing, hum, and whistle in the workshops. They recall childhood memories, or share details of a future family trip. They recite poems and share book recommendations. As the popular sign says: “Live, Laugh, Love, Repeat”. Indeed, that is what’s underway — bonding over both our unique and shared experiences. And while someone’s hands may shake, and another person may not see well anymore, the class participants feel heard and valued. They are shaping their pres- ent well-being with their fellow peers. Sometimes, when I am cleaning up the classroom, I overhear my students admiring each other’s work and joking about selling their artwork at exorbitant prices. They are so kind to each other and go off to their next activity feeling encouraged. Their comments are heart- warming: “I didn’t know I could do this!” or “Wow, that’s beautiful,” as a note from the person sitting next to them. To me, that’s the real magic of art classes. Martina Sestakova has a B.A. in Communication from the University of Maryland, and holds an M.F.A. in Fashion Design from the Academy of Arts University in San Francisco. She has more than 9 years of experience in intercultural communications, in particular in multinational clinical trials, and has volunteered in a variety of health- care settings. Today, she is a wearable art designer who runs RADOST, LLC (www. radostbymartinasestakova.com/), and an artist featured at the Smithsonian Ameri - can Art Museum in Washington, D.C. Martina teaches art at various institutions and communities across Maryland. Art Classes at Retirement Communities Improve Quality of Life BY MARTINA SESTAKOVA
A Blink Before Breaching
BY SCOTT THOMAS OUTLAR We are balanced now between the breath of a tipping point for five more seconds and the choice is simple Sovereignty or world government Freedom or censorship Justice or lawfare Renaissance culture or death cult pop Natural foods or synthetic poison Journalism or intelligentsia propaganda Raised arms in a V or black boots upon throat Truth pierced through the veil or occultic hidden agenda Life lived to the hilt or debt slave servitude Time spent with the ocean and trees or digitized algorithmic mind warp data We have three seconds remaining before the divergent streams become self-apparent
Scott Thomas Outlar is originally from Atlanta, Georgia. He now lives and writes in Frederick, Maryland. His work has been nominat - ed multiple times for both the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net. His essay “Daydreaming Dystopia” placed second in the 2023 Bellarm - ine Goes Gonzo Writing Contest. He guest-edited the Hope Anthology of Poetry from CultureCult Press as well as the 2019-2023 Western Voices editions of Setu Mag. Selections of his poetry have been trans - lated and published in 15 languages. He has been a weekly contrib - utor at Dissident Voice for the past nine years. More about Outlar’s work can be found at 17Numa.com.
A resident’s room is covered in his artworks.
Participants work on their floral paintings in a watercolor class.
80—PATHWAYS—Fall 24
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