We all have our own stories. And sharing them takes vulnerability and courage, but through this simple act, we can reflect on our own journeys while making a lasting impact on others.
We invited five local artists to share the stories of five incredible people through their art making, drawing out the storyteller's unique backgrounds and experiences. Here are five incredible stories to help us connect and strengthen a community that we are all a part of.
Perspective draws strength and your voice and stories are an integral part of part of their final artwork. Tell us how these stories impact you!
Are you ready to be inspired?
#Whatisyourstory
There's a lot of stories out there that we never get a chance to listen to. I want to transform those stories into illustrations, so all of us can experience it from a different point of view.
I still remember a friend of mine came up to me and said, "oh my God, you look like Lucy Liu from Ally McBeal". I knew I looked nothing like Lucy Liu, but that was what my friends were exposed to. At the time, it became an identity that I felt that I could relate to.
I understand that telling your own story and the honest version of your story takes a lot of courage and vulnerability. I want to make sure in my illustrations, I do justice to the story they are trying to portray.
I started to understand and realize that my upbringing and background really shaped me as an individual. My son needed to know that I am who I am because of my past, the hardships and the challenges that I had gone through.
When I heard about this project, I was immediately stricken by it. It's just a real connection that is needed right now. And when I think about stories, I think of stories like a tree and a tree that has roots. These roots make up our histories and so when you hear people's stories, you're hearing their history. And in that way, there's reciprocity.
I often don't feel have the right to speak about it. And I don't have the right to call myself indigenous because I didn't grow up [identifying] with it. And I don't know a lot about it even now. The more I learned, the more I realize how important it is that we learn and that we make put in the effort to learn.
People are so much more than they appear. When you think about stories, you think about individuality, but the reality is we tell these stories so that we can feel closer to one another and build community.
How I see this is a single drop does not make the ocean, but many drops do make an ocean. And so, it's important that each drop, each voice is well represented because it contributes greatly to the strength of the ocean wave.
With having mental illness, there is a lot of stigma. We are all different and we should all recognize and celebrate that. We should not hold prejudices and stigma against people, such as myself.
When I was cycling in the interior of BC, a guy drove by and pulled me over. When I rolled up, he had his head pressed against the steering wheel and started bawling his eyes out. He looked over at me and just said, thank you.
Contact Us
Jodi T. Kelleher
Partner-in-Charge of Tax, GVA, Partner, International Tax
KPMG in Canada
Walter R. Pela
GVA Regional Managing Partner
KPMG in Canada
