Our Fourth of July weekend workshop was awesome!  Military vets and community members brought items of sentimental value in to make paper!

Jeanne, a local web designer, brought one of her husband's favorite T-shirts in. He just lost his job and this T-shirt represents a job he held for many years that brought him joy.  During the workshop, Jeanne pulped the shirt, made paper, bound it into a book and wrote inspirational messages throughout the pages for her husband. She called it a prayer book and hopes it will bring him inspiration during his search for a job that brought him as much joy as the one the T-shirt represents.

Jennifer, a newly engaged graphic designer, brought a box of receipts that she'd accumulated during her college years. Her dad had warned her of identity theft, and she simply tossed everything into the box. She now shreds her bills (or gets them electronically) and doesn't keep them. So she pulped the receipts and made some amazingly beautiful art pieces that she plans to frame.  She she it was awesome releasing the stress she toted around for so many years in a box!

John, a Vietnam veteran, brought in his last uniform shirt. He took photos throughout the process and said he was amazed at how much he had still pent up inside him. He shared some stories but the joy on his face told more. John silk-screened photos of himself in his uniform onto the paper he created from the Vietnam era shirt. It was gorgeous!  John said he wants to make more paper.

Clarissa and Andris, WWII holocaust survivors, brought many of us to tears with their gentle approach and creativity. They created some amazing artwork using personal pieces. Their stories were beautiful!

Molly and Avery joined us as well. In their mid 70's, both had so many personal experiences with conflict and found the workshop "beautiful."  Mostly, they thought it was amazing that people from so many different walks of life, political perspectives and economic circles were working together and individually on something so personal.

Lauren, a veterans' advocate, created a silk-screen from a photo she took while protesting in Washington, DC, against the war in Iraq. She was arrested that day, and believes she was profounding impacted by the event.

And I, with the help of many who participated in the workshop, created a large piece of paper (6' x 8') from my military camouflage uniform, a 1200-thread-count sheet I slept on in Djibouti, and a bit of pulp from an Air Force friend. I've already impressed the footprints from my combat boots in one corner and will then "paint" a peace sign onto the paper using black ink on the soles of my boots.  When it is done, it will be my own personal message about the cost of peace.

We had a great extended weekend. We had so much fun that the days sped by too quickly. But beyond the fun we had, we witnessed the beautiful results of unintended therapy for those who suffer from PTSD or who simply have memories with which they know not what to do.

We hope you'll invite us to come to your town to make paper. We promise fun, lots of energy and most importantly cathartic healing!

Make paper not war!

Donna