Art and Purpose

Lessons Learned grew out of years of practice working with children in schools and hospitals—often without a map. I did not begin this work as an educator or healthcare professional, but as an artist sharing my own creative process. Over time, experience led to questions, and questions led to learning. This essay reflects that evolution. It gathers insights shaped through observation, trust, and responsibility to the children I worked alongside. It is not a set of conclusions

Edina — The Artist Who Said Yes (A Story of Friendship, Courage, and the Power of Art) I met Edina Seleskovic  at The Corcoran School of Art in Washington, D.C. Our studios were side by side, and I would watch her walk past carrying her enormous sculptures with the kind of confidence only a young artist with a clear purpose possesses. Beautiful Bosnian. Tall. Brilliant. And an absolutely INCREDIBLE belly dancer — Edina stood out from the very beginning. She carried herself wi

(October 2017) When I first began working with Nicole Stott on The Space Suit Art Project , I felt as if the universe had handed me a sacred assignment. Nicole had given me four art boxes to take to children’s hospitals — each one a small vessel of color, hope, and cosmic imagination. At that time, my connections were mostly with schools, not hospitals. But I knew this mission was different — delicate, purposeful, and deeply human. I wanted to choose each location with intent

When I look back on those ten days — from the grand scale of Moscow to the tender spirit of London, to the awakening of Paris, and the quiet grace of Cologne — I see them now as a constellation. Each city, each child, each brushstroke was a point of light, and together they formed something greater than all of us: a map of healing drawn in color, courage, and connection. Through the Space for Art Foundation, our mission was to bring art into hospitals — but what I discovered

Cologne was our final stop on the World Hospital Art Tour — the closing chapter of ten unforgettable days that had taken us from Moscow to London, to Paris, and now here, to the heart of Germany. By then, our rhythm as a team had become effortless — each of us moving like parts of a single heartbeat. We had been traveling by planes, trains, and automobiles — we even missed a train right Infront of our noses! For a moment, we were like machines — running on purpose, motion, an

Paris greeted us with sunlight that danced over the rooftops, a crisp autumn breeze, and the kind of sky that makes you look up and smile. It was one of those days that already felt like a painting — soft blue tones, drifting leaves, and the hum of the city moving gracefully below. To top it off, our hotel had an unlimited supply of pink marshmallows in a beautiful glass jar — I couldn’t resist, and neither could Alena! We stuffed those marshmallows into our mouths, looking l

Before we began our visit at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), I learned something extraordinary: this hospital, in the heart of London, belongs to Peter Pan. In 1929, J.M. Barrie, the author of Peter Pan, gifted all the rights to his beloved story to GOSH so that the boy who never grew up could forever help care for children who needed healing. Since then, every telling of Peter Pan has carried a donation to the hospital — a little bit of magic turned into care. Walking t

Moscow was larger than life. I had never felt so small—the buildings enormous, the avenues wide and powerful, the rhythm of the city both elegant and monumental. Everything felt extra grand. I remember walking through it all, feeling like a little ant discovering a giant’s world. This was our first stop on the World Hospital Art Tour with the Space for Art Foundation, and my very first international hospital visit with our team—Nicole Stott, Ian Cion, and myself—joined by UNI

In November 2018, I joined the Space for Art Foundation on our World Hospital Art Tour — a creative and humanitarian journey that took us from Moscow to London, Paris, and Cologne between November 8th and 15th.Our traveling team — Nicole Stott, Ian Cion, and myself — represented the Space for Art Foundation, bringing our Earthrise Project and Exploration Spacesuit Project to children’s hospitals across Europe. We were joined by UNITY Movement co-founder Alena Kuzmenko from Ru

Before meeting Nicole, I already had my own initiative — a personal dream of creating art projects for children in schools around the world, so they could learn about each other’s cultures and broaden their horizons. I had absolutely no background in education, nor did I know much about school systems. Yet somehow, as if by magic and synchronicity, I found myself working with teachers from around the world. Projekt Postcard became part of several school curriculums, and soon