Author: rayela

Brazil 18years + Chicago 20yrs + Paducah since 2005 These have shaped my path and interests. I spent many years as an active artist (ceramics and textiles) but have focused on promoting the creative community online since 2010. My current projects are Artizan Made and this site, Creative PlaceMakers.

Images from Save the Frogs, Redbubble, AOL

Do you ever feel like it’s impossible for ONE person to make a difference in our world?  How does ONE voice break through all of the noise, through social media, through our fractured news cycles?  Well, every now and then, ONE person comes up with an action that is so contagious and powerful that it becomes a symbol.  Meet Seth Todd, an activist who started the Frog Resistance outside of the detention center in Portland, Oregon. He started showing up daily at a nonviolent protest against ICE and the other protesters loved what he was doing and jumped in on the action. Now there are inflatable warriors of every animal you can imagine, plus bananas and other funny costumes.  Brilliant!

why is the inflatable frog resistance genius?

Because it stands in stark contrast to the masked, weaponized goons who are kidnapping people, slamming them on the streets, splitting families and turning our country into a living hell.  Humor, music, dance and all of the arts are powerful conduits for messages of peace, nonviolence and, yes, ridicule.  The costumes also provide some privacy, making it hard to use facial recognition tactics to track protestors, and they also offer a bit of protection against pepper spray.  An ICE agent actually sprayed directly into his vent, such a cruel thing to do!  Here’s Seth:

Seth and these protesters all around the country give me so much hope!  I think I am a coward at heart, but I am trying to do my part, too….  Colbert shone a light on the frog resistance.  So sweet!

No Kings Day is this Saturday!  If all of us who are distressed by the Trump Administration show up, maybe we can reach the 3.5% representation of the population needed to impact this government:

The 3.5% rule is a concept in political science that states that when 3.5% of the population of a country protest nonviolently against a government, that government is likely to fall from power. The rule was formulated by Erica Chenoweth in 2013. It arose out of insights originally published by political scientist Mark Lichbach in 1995 in his book The Rebel’s Dilemma: Economics, Cognition, and Society    More about it on Wikipedia

 

wear yellow!!!

I wrote two other posts about protests:

Hands Off! Protest – April 5, 2025  and  No Kings Protest, Paducah Kentucky – June 14, 2025

new member

Welcome to Nestle And Soar Studio – Georgianne Holland!

“I have been a professional fiber artist, using wool needlefelting and applied techniques to create handmade home decor items. And more recently, since 2010, my passion for other fine craft mediums has emerged! My Nestle and Soar Studio is home to Art Glass, Mosaic Art, and Ceramics. I love connecting with others who love all art and fine crafts! Let me see your techniques and best pieces. I still have so much to learn.

A new endeavor at the Nestle and Soar Studio is the creation of my Creative Kids Club. In this club, we’re on a mission to inspire creativity through our monthly arts and crafts kits. These inventive kits are designed to develop essential STEAM skills for the future. Our members can purchase a single kit for the beloved child in their life, or they can choose a series of 3 monthly kits mailed to homes in the US.”

Click on the banner to visit Georgianne’s story where you will find all of her links!

featured member

I have been featuring members on our home page and on our Facebook banner.

Today it is Helen Klebesadel Art!

“I am an artist and educator, born and raised in rural Wisconsin. I maintain my art studio in Madison, Wisconsin full time since retiring from a 35+ year academic career in visual art and women’s and gender studies.

… I am interested in encouraging people to find their own creative voices by teaching workshops in-person, and virtually about creative process and watercolor painting on paper and canvas through my teaching and coaching CreativityLessons.com”

Click on her banner to learn more.

Explore our Member Directory for more creatives who are working for a better world!

latest blog posts

I am so excited that people have started to contribute to the blog!  The creative spirit brings us all together, but each story has a special area of interest.  My hope is that we can help creatives connect, both locally and online!  Join us and contribute your stories, too!

When you become an author, a profile page is created for you where your posts will show up.  Fiona of Creative Arts Safaris has submitted three posts, so her profile is starting to grow:  Fiona’s profile   You access that page by clicking on the author’s name on the post.  There is also a short bio that introduces the author.  In time we will have a private forum on the site and that profile page will connect with the forum activity, too.

In the last newsletter, I talked about some of the recurring themes I would like to see on the blog: immigration, resistance, my neighbor, creative spaces and upcycling.  Of course, people can write about whatever they want, but the site is especially dedicated to lifting up the love of diversity, equality, inclusion and the environment.  These can all be seen within the larger context of how creativity addresses these passions and the economic development impact they have on messaging and bettering our communities.  Revisit that last newsletter to see other examples.

A bit about me.

Visit my story page to learn about my background.

wanna come to paducah, kentucky?

This past year has been difficult.  

mobility

I’ve had back problems for over 10 years, but they became chronic about a year ago.  It looks like I am going to have to have disc replaced as it is deteriorating.  I am also going to have a hip replacement.  I am planning on doing both of those after the Holidays.  I have three rooms that I rent on Airbnb and Furnished Finders.  I am looking for someone who would like to come and help me out while I heal.

Paducah is a great city for creatives, small but with a lot going on!   I had a hip replacement two years ago and was up walking on the same day. But, now I have a big shepherd and I need someone to walk him, clean the litterbox (three fat cats), take me to appointments, etc. The surgeon said the back is three weeks of pain…  Ugh.  I’m turning into a robot!

I can find someone locally, but I don’t have any bookings yet for the beginning of the year, so I thought I would see if anyone wants to come.  You can see photos of the house on Airbnb. The location is great!  Just a couple of blocks from downtown.

tech

My laptop has been dying for over a year.  I finally borrowed money from a friend and have been setting it up, transferring files and folders, etc.  It’s such a nightmare!  But, the new computer, a desk top, is smooth as butter and I can finally be productive again.  I lost so much time dealing with the laptop freezing up.  So, it’s a huge relief to have this.  Now I have to pay the loan back and not much has been coming in, including the rooms.  Tough times, all over, I know.  Somehow, I hope that all of us can shift darkness we are seeing and bring in the light.

ways you can support this effort

• Become a member here.  It’s only $25/year and the more people we get standing on our map, the better visual we have to show off the creative life.   This is the form you need to fill out and instructions are here.

• Join Artizan Made. If you sell handmade, ethical goods online, join our collective!  Some of our members sell on Etsy, but most have their own websites now. We import up to 50 of your products and add them to our market and then promote them.

• Support the Amiga Fund. You pay for a one year membership for a new member who needs financial support and then we help them get seen. You might know someone who would be a good fit or we will look for a fair trader or artist who can use the help.

• Become a Sponsor! Our Sponsors inject a bit of needed financial support that helps pay for hosting fees, marketing and my time. $250 a year gets you an ad on both sites plus two promotions a month on our Facebook and Instagram pages. We have 43K followers on Facebook which is pretty good these days….  Every Sponsor gets an album that is updated twice a year.

That’s it!  Thank you for reading.  I hope you enjoyed the stories.  Make sure you sign up to get our blog posts by email, both here and on Artizan Made.  See you next time!