www.art4thehomeless.org

The Art4TH Zine willbe published everyMonday in-stead of Sun-day becausewe think thatsince Mondayis the begin-ning of manywork weeks,many people will beonline and checkingtheir emails–and wewill have a betterreach that equals ex-posure for our artists

and homeless relieforganizations.

Also don’tforgetaboutArt4TheHolidays–ourcampaignto raise

some funds for bothus and Invisible Peo-ple. Go towww.art4thehomeless.org to learn more!

Free hand paint-ed art cards withdonations of $5

toArt4TheHolidays

In This Issue

Featured Visual ArtistAwareness Spotlight

Performing ArtsLiterary Arts

Joanna’s CornerHuniie’s BitzThrifty Living

Art4TheHolidays

Featured Visual Artist: Lea Vigil

http://vigil0609/wix.com/paintings

Lea Vigil was born in Duarte, CA,and has been drawing since shewas a little girl. Her signiature draw-ings feature long neck girls with bigeyes–something she’s been doingand loving for a long time.

Lea also works with the It’s OkayMovement–an organization thatseeks to reach out to others andmaking a connection through Love,Kindness, Understanding, and Re-spect.

These three artworks are inspired byher work with It’s Okay Movementand they are of three homeless menthat she has met on her journey.

To learn more about Lea and her artvisit her website. To learn moreabout It’s Okay Movement, flip to thenext page–they our Featured Aware-ness Organizations for this issue!

Lea Vigil

Awareness Spotlight

The It’sOkay Movement is buildingan army of the mistreated to reachout to everyone with the promise ofrespect and love. They are all aboutreaching out to others who have nohope and are in despair–those whohave been mistreated by others andby life–with this simple message: It’sOkay.

It’s going to be okay and you can bea part of that message–be the mes-senger and reach out to our fellowhumans who are in despair and givethem the hope for a better tomorrow.

FACEBOOKwww.facebook.com/itsokaymovement/

Twitter@itsokaymovement

YouTubehttp://www.youtube.com/user/itsokay

movement

Websitehttp://flavors.me/itsokaymovement

A Movement

OFFICIAL SPONSOROf the Art4TheHomeless

Webzine and Gallery

www.artsofmojo.com

Feature Performing Artist:

Catie Waters

http://www.catiewaters.com

The music of Dallas-based singer/songwriter Catie Waters has been described asa unique blend of jazz and soul, with rich undertones of R&B and funk grooves.Undoubtedly unique and unwavering in her commitment to her artistic vision, thereis an intellect and maturity that penetrates through her music. Appealing to multiplegenres, Catie knows exactly who she is as an artist. Dark, enchanting, soulful andhaunting, Catie’s original music and lyrics are derived from early life experiencesthat inspired introspection and accelerated maturity, fostering the gifted mind of auniquely talented artist. Billie Holiday and Marvin Gaye are among Catie’s first mu-sical idols, with influences also coming from artists such as Amy Winehouse, JamieCullum, Erykah Badu, Adele, and Robert Glasper.

Growing up in a small town in Northern Arkansas before moving to the cosmopoli-tan city of Dallas has enabled her to observe different societal views and valuesthat have added perspective to her vast knowledge of cultural history. The majorityof Catie’s childhood was spent immersing herself in music and books, having readas many as 300 titles in one year’s time. She is particularly fascinated with the CivilRights Movement and the Freedom Riders. Catie admires people of courage andthose that have overcome strife and oppression in their lives.

With a clear vision and commitment driving her to succeed, Catie Waters is thecomplete package as an artist. With her youthful energy and passion, her goal is tobring Jazz to the forefront as a popular genre. Catie aspires to write organic songswith tremendous depth that will inspire listeners to empower change. Catie is nostranger to the stage; having already performed at venues such as House of Bluesin Dallas, The NAMM Show in Anaheim, The Bitter End in New York City, and Livein the Vineyard in Napa Valley, as well as being featured on KNON 89.3 DespiertaDallas, The Genie of Smooth 98.1 and Solar Radio.

Sought after by multiple producers in New York, Los Angeles, and Dallas, Catiechose to collaborate in the Fall of 2012 with the talented Producer/Musician, CalebSean, who co-produced Beyonce’s “Best Thing I Never Had.” With the participationof many amazing musicians, Catie recorded her first album with all live instrumen-tation to bring her organic vision to life. Catie Waters’ debut Album, Stone Child, isscheduled to be released, May 1, 2013. This is only the beginning for this emerg-ing artist!

Catie released her first album, 'Stone Child,' in May, 2013!

Catie Waters

Poetry by Cindy Wicks

I passed a homeless woman on thestreet one day.

She asked me for some food. Sor-ry.” I said

and hurried along my way.I completed my affairs, set on bus

bench and waited.The woman from before ap-

proached me,pushing a shopping cart.

She sat down beside me, one seataway.

We talked and I instantly warmed toher,

could see her heart, smiled and re-laxed.

I don't recall what was said, but sheasked

me if I knew the Lord's Prayer.She then asked me to pray with her.We recited it and I was enjoying my-

self.We talked more and asked for a

dollar.I gave it to her and asked herif she would like a sandwich.She said yes and I retrieved

a wrapped sandwich from my bagand she took it and said, bless you.

We talked for quite awhile.She began to become agitated.I was afraid, thought a serenity

prayerwould be perfect to say.

So I asked her to pray with me.

I said it as she hadn't heard itshe repeated each line after me.

She then quieted and spokeof Jesus, how she wished

she could see him in person,how handsome he would be.

I said, Jesus is all around.Besides, Jesus has a beautiful

heart.That is what was really important.

She smile broadly.We talked some more.

I remembered a lavender rosethat I had bought as a treat for my-

selfI retrieved it and gave it to her.

She thanked me. The bus arrivedshe then continued down the street

with her shopping cart.As I got on the bus

she said, God bless you.I returned, Aloha and got on the

bus.I think of her often.She comes to mind

and I have nice memories.I repeat the story to inspire.

Peace be with you.

Joanna’s Corner by Joanna

Ballard Louisiana Storyteller

Helping Others This Holiday Season

by Joanna Ballard

Hello again from the deep coldSouth and less than two weeksaway from the Christmas holi-day!

Hope you have taken the timeout to let the onesyou love and care for Knowhow special they are to you.

Many in this holiday seasonare missing loved ones, soplease remember to do ran-dom acts of kindness with nothought of retun payment,those are the most remem-bered gifts, least for me.

So many folks are doing goodand it is not hitting the news. Ifyou have an act of kindnessdone for you and would like tohare please email me atvisionsofjoanna@gmail.com

I am using this column thistime to remind you of our Artfor the Holidays on line fund-raiser for Art 4 the Homelessand Invisible People.

A mere five dollar plus dona-tion and we will send you anArt Trading Card created bymyself or CEO and founderJohnna, addressed to you or aspecial art lover in your life.plus make a meaningful differ-ence.

Here is the web site

https://www.wepay.com/donations/art4theholidays_1

Huniie’s Bitz

by Hunniie Parker

Deception of One’s Self

Hello, I hope everyone has had an amazingweek! I was given the topic “Deception of One’sSelf” for a poem, and I thought it might be interest-ing to explore a little further. In doing so, I noticedhow we tend to deceive ourselves in so manyways.’

So many times we are in different situationswhere there are red flags flying high. We decide todeceive ourselves that they are not there, that weare imagining things etc. We even blame othersfor our deception instead of taking responsibilityfor it. Some of us deceive ourselves into believingwe are not good enough, stupid, or even ugly.That we can’t do certain things, that we are sickwhen we are health etc.In deceiving ourselves this way we are cheatingourselves. We are not allowing us to be who wereally are. We are thus, also telling God he didn’tor doesn’t know what he is talking about when hesays we can do. Some of us deceive ourselves bysaying we are too fat, too skinny, too tall, and tooshort. If we feel we need to lose weight that is allfine, but, some of us become obsessed with it,and never see ourselves as we truly look. Thisthen can become a dangerous situation as wethen go on the path of actually starving ourselvesto death.

When we deceive ourselves into believing we areunloved, it opens the door for so many dangeroussituations. When we don’t love ourselves, or be-lieve we are unloved, we allow ourselves to betreated just any kind of way. Sometimes thiscauses us to get with an abusive mate, havingabusive friends, or even abusive bosses. When Italk about abuse, it’s not always physical. If youhave people in your life that call you stupid, dumb,tell you that you can’t do, or why do you bother, allof those words are abusive words.Unless God has some plan for you to stay on ajob where the boss is always putting you down,you need to move to another job. Now, I’m notsaying unless your life is in danger, go to workand quit tomorrow. I’m saying that you need to

start looking for something better because youDESERVE better.

That’s the biggest key of all, a lot of times we don’tfeel that we deserve better. We have deceivedourselves into believing what others may havesaid. We missed the red flags that may haveshowed us they were jealous, insecure etc, inthemselves and were stepping on us to makethemselves feel better or important.One of the biggest ways I have especially seenwomen deceive themselves is in abusive relation-ships. We listen to the man tell us that no one butthem wants us. That we can’t make it withoutthem, that they won’t hit us again, that they don’tmean it. We deceive ourselves by saying they re-ally do love us, and I can’t leave him because heneeds me, he can’t make it without me etc.

All the time ignoring the red flags right in front ofour faces, as they scare our friends away, moveus to areas where we can’t see family or friends.Tell us we can’t go somewhere because theyneed us at home. Start telling us what we can andcan’t wear; some even accuse us of cheating onthem to make us feel guilty if a man even says hito us. While we deceive ourselves that they trulydo love us.We have thus deceived ourselves, that this islove. News flash, love doesn’t hurt; it heals, nur-tures, supports and wants the best for, and in noway fears.

My challenge for everyone this week, is that we alltake a moment to reflect, and look in the mirrorand see what area of our lives, are we deceivingourselves. And it’s ok if we have been. But now,that you are aware of it, take responsibility for it,and start the road of healing and deliverance fromit.

Until next time, Huniie

Thrifty Living by

Johnna Abdul Qader

Gluten Free and on a budget?

Wheat is cheap. Super cheap. It’s also badfor you. Many people have thyroid issues–they eat “healthy” and can’t seem to shakethe weight. I am one of those people–orwas until I was told go gluten free or killthe thyroid.

Wheat has gluten which on a molecularlevel is a twin to another hormone pro-duced by your thyroid–the hormone thathelps your metabolism. Since gluten at-tacks your stomach lining and insides,your immune system fights and kills it–and also attacks your thyroid since it pro-duces gluten’s good twin–the helping hor-mone that keeps you healthy.

I’m not gonna lie. Gluten free dieting isexpensive. Walmart has a great selectionof gluten free stuff but I stick to the glutenfree flour and make all my sauces fromscratch.

I have to steer clear of all the Campbells’products–they have wheat in them. In fact,read your labels. Enriched Flour, WheatFlour, Durham Flour, Semolina–those areall wheat products.

Here’s a recipe for one of my sauces.

Ingredients:

Milk1-2 tbsps of gluten free flourButterChicken or beefYour pick of veggies.Your choice of cheese

1. Melt the butter.2. After it’s melted, add in the milk andflour and cheese. Stir until you have asauce.

In a separate pan, cook the meat and veg-gies together–gotta give them that flavor.Add in whatever spices you like and oncethey are done, mix in with the sauce.

And there you have a great gluten freesauce for your gluten free pasta dishes.

The best way to eat gluten free on a bud-get is to read, read, read your lables anddo research on what gluten is. There aretons of other recipes online.

This major change will be for the best andyou will see those pounds melt off. I lost60 pounds since April. It’s December.