Carmie Carpio is our field correspondent in Quezon City, Philippines.
Writing down your thoughts is not always easy. To be honest, I took a long time before my words found their way on this page.But, here I am, writing a story that wants to be told, something that did not exist minutes ago.
In the moments before I write, I reach out for inspiration. And I'm in luck; I don't have to look far. In my world, I see sparks of creativity all the time – like the CI art contest. The art contest inspires confidence by encouraging children and youth to express their values and ideas. It has produced many of the young artists we have now, including sponsored youth Caressa (far right in photo at top of page).
Caressa's work was part of an art exhibit at the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), which is the official arts council for the Philippines. Her painting, "Ikon Alteration / Palit Balat" (translated as "Change of Skin") – depicting her perspective on assimilation, change, adaptation and identity – was on display along with the works of other fine-arts students of the University of the Philippines.
Caressa, joined by her mom and sister, holds a drawing she submitted for her agency's Art Contest.
"Whatever tools you have, you've got to use them," Caressa says. Her tools are paintbrushes and clay.
Caressa believes there is an artist in each of us. To her, everything starts from small beginnings that we have allowed to grow.
"We all have a creative side. But some think they don't, because probably they were once told they cannot do it. When I started joining drawing contests in school years ago, my classmates were in doubt. But I believed in myself. I did not stop. I enjoyed seeing my progress," she says.
Caressa proudly stands next to her artwork on exhibit at the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. Caressa shares much of her time and talent in our youth programs and in our agency activities. She is one of our go-to artists for face paintings, souvenir paintings, stage design and other creative projects. She also mentors children in drawing and painting, encouraging self-expression as often as possible.
She spends time every Saturday at an elementary school, teaching young children art basics and providing tips for drawing contests. In all these, she shows pure enthusiasm and gives her best.
"Creating art makes me feel fulfilled," says Caressa. "When I see that people are happy with what I do, I find happiness, as well. I think all children should experience this. It's good to start them early and to remind them that they, too, can create good things."
Caressa is an artist in so many ways. I have seen her dance on stage, play the guitar with her friends, draw and paint. She doesn't keep these talents hidden but lets them grow to share them and inspire others to do the same.
As a staff member for Children International, I see expressions of creativity from the children and youth:
Beyond art, creativity is essential to human life and survival. If we want to meet a goal, inspire a breakthrough, conduct a project, engage an audience, obtain support, send out a message or simply be part of a solution, creativity is the key ingredient to success.
