Thursday, February 19, 2015

Annie Levesque, Motivational Artist

Several years ago I made a pilgrimage to Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré a small town in La Côte-de-Beaupré Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada, along the Saint Lawrence River, 35 kilometers (22 mi) north-east of the Quebec City. In this small town there is a huge, beautiful basicilica.  While walking around this quaint town that appears to be set back in the 50s, we couldn’t help but notice a colorful building decorated with creative art and bright colors. Walking in we were greeted by Annie, an enthusiastic and adorable young lady, who we discovered to be the owner and the artist of many of the beautiful pieces of art on display.  Annie pointed out many of the unusual pieces and how through them we are forced to think outside the box.  She stated, we are often too busy to take the time to be playful.  When we stress, we get stuck in the way we see things, kill our creativity and are less productive. She continued,  art may help us to relax, be playful and to take on a different perspective.  Her carnival mirrors distorted our image which made us laugh and we played an unusual hopscotch game that instructed us to do silly things when landing in each box.  I was totally engaged. The bottom line:  it is important to relax and be playful.  

When she saw how much we were enjoying ourselves, she opened up.  We asked her many questions, and she answered our questions candidly.  Then she told us her story.  Her parents sent her to the university to study science, but instead she majored in art.  When she came home they were disappointed, but finally consented to her staying in the art program.  The art studio she was managing was actually a part of her class project.  Here she supported artists who she believed in.  Both of her parents were both working for her.  What a twist of events!  Annie is an inspiration to me because of her passion, initiative and ability to follow her dream no matter what.  I admire Annie for her belief in and support of herself.  Moreover, I am impressed with the way she reaches to support others.  Annie is truly a motivational artist!    





No comments: