Chapter 14: A Personal Narrative of Courage and Vulnerability in Research: Peace Learning and Collaborative Art With Youth

Hesitating a moment longer I lingered, glancing again at my reflection in the rearview mirror. The woman that looked back at me still surprised me sometimes, familiar yet new, and my nervousness at greeting a small group of teens that day was causing knots in my stomach. Earlier that week, I joked that I would be coming in disguise to our first art session in months. I wondered what their reaction would be and if they would even show up after so long an absence. With a deep breath, I opened the door, stepped into the humid air, and walked across the parking lot with art supplies in tow. I’d written this day on my calendar in all caps “TIPS: SEW BOOKS!” I focused on the flip side of my nervousness, my excitement to see this incredible group of young people again as part of a collaborative design, printmaking, and peace-building project. Connection was at the root of it all, and I was about to find out how those ties had held through the biggest upheaval of my life. (Journal Excerpt, May 2018)