kelly x

“The choices you make dictate the life you lead.” – Kelly X

Kelly X, had a wonderful childhood before she became homeless.  Kelly traveled and camped around the United States with her parents.  When growing up, Kelly didn't know what she wanted to be, however, she had a passion to read maps and was a navigator while she grew up, which lead her career as a pilot. Kelly’s saddest moment was actually over a period of years when she had a custody battle for her son.  Her happiest moment was giving birth to her son, Jake.  Kelly is grateful for her health, her son and her family even though they are 300 miles away.  Advice that Kelly would give to a teenager is, “They’re not kidding. Drugs are no good. The choices you make can lift you up or drag you down.”

Leandra, 19

Dreams of being a biologist
Important influence:  her brothers & sisters
Grateful for:  for so many great opportunities

When I started this project in this class, I previously had some interactions with the homeless. I used to run housing with my mom that helped provide items for homeless people, like bedding, hygiene, food, and drinks. I used to love to listen to their stories because it gave me an insight of what happens on the streets and how the homeless live.  I thought they were mostly sad and unhappy, but once I got to know them better, I found out they make friends that care for one another and have such strong bonds.  In Kelly's painting, I used colors that represent the world like blue, green, and yellow to capture Kelly’s passion of the world.  I wanted to give Kelly a soft look to show her loving self, but use dark bold colors to show her strong personality.