The Liberatory Care Coloring Book
This project emerged from Liberty’s life long dream to create a coloring book which evolved as they sat in class with Myriesha Barber and they doodled while learning about community liberation psychology. They meditated on the meaning of community care and what care looks like when it creates or is in response to processes of liberation.
In August 2020 12 artists from around the globe gathered in virtual space to dream up what liberatory care means to them in their respective communities. What emerged from that dream space was pure magic and we can’t wait to share it with you.
Meet The Creators
Jarlisa Shunte
@byjarlisashunte
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Jarlisa (she/they) is a mississippi-born portrait artist and illustrator whose creative work is an expression of her multifaceted identities with an emphasis on gender, body, neurodivergence, or loosely, the experience of having neurological variations that are seen as outside the cognitive norm, and more. Thematic elements drawing from nature, science-fiction, and fantasy illuminate her work, which also encompasses the myriad of beautiful ways other Black womxn and femmes express their own individual identities. Illustration is the medium in which Jarlisa feels the most seen. Through it, she manifests healing within herself and in turn, hopefully, a sense of healing resonance, and an experience of feeling seen for others.
Jarlisa holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Communications with a minor in Performing Arts from the Rochester Institute of Technology. She is currently pursuing a graduate degree in the Business of Art & Design from the Maryland Institute College of Art. Her creative potential knows no boundaries: Jarlisa is open and ready to receive opportunities to expand and deepen her artistic practice.
Rochelle Creative
@RochelleCreative
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RochelleCreative is a creative studio specialising in minimalist abstract design, oil paintings and illustration. Rooted in the free expression of WOC, nature and self-care. Most of Rochelle's early paintings were inspired by the strong, wise and gentle women that surrounded her growing up. These women needed more positive representation in the art world. Rochelle now creates a collection of digital illustrations, oil paintings and accessories centralising sisterhood and art as therapy. Her work explores themes of individuality, friendship, love and healing.
Gabriella Weaver
@ajnagabriella
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Gabriella Weaver is a queer, genderfluid healing artist & intuitive astrologer (she/her & they/them pronouns) currently living in Portland, Oregon (Chinook/Multnomah territory). She has Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry, alongside mixed European heritage, primarily Ukrainian & Belarusian. She grew up in Santa Cruz, California (Awaswas/Ohlone territory), where the Pacific Ocean and Redwood forests were among some of her greatest teachers. In her art, she works through many media— writing and poetry, drawing and lettering, digital and 3D collage, space-making, relationship-building, social media weaving, and intuitive healing. She considers them all forms of channeling.
Lin Grimm
ellgrimm.itch.io
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Lin Grimm (they/them) has been drawing SOMETHING most days since they were six. Fueled by coffee, cats, and the pursuit of punk, intersectional, radical, post-capitalist, compassionate community. They hope to one day be brave and get a cool tattoo. If you like downloading pay-what-you-can coloring and activity pages at the site above.
Shawna Farinango
@jasmine_shawnaf
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Shawna Farinango (she/her) is an indigenous Kichwa emerging Digital Creator based in Hamilton, Ontario. Her work is inspired by the resilience of Kichwa Warmis and the beauty that nature possesses. Through her illustrations she is focused on creating bold and colourful work showcasing Warmi empowerment, Kichwa resilience, my culture and traditions. As a Kichwa illustrator my mission has been to capture the struggles and complexities of what it means to be a kichwa women growing up in what is known as Canada. Through my artwork, I try to challenging restraints that society has imposed on kichwa warmis by showing the beauty, wisdom, and strength of warmis in my community in a digital space. My art has not only been a way to express myself but it has been a way for myself to reclaim my power and most importantly strengthen my identity.
Alex Graves
@sunfloweranga
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My name is Alex Graves ( He/Him They/Them) I am an African American Queer artist and educator with a focus on emotional learning and restorative justice. Through my art I want to give voice to alternative narratives around masculinities, race and personal freedom through community. I live in Brooklyn NY with my partner of 4 years and our imaginary dogs.
Sonja Nosisa
Cover Artist
@SonjaNosisa
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Sonja Nosisa Noonan-Ngwane is a Xhosa-American artist and anthropologist currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Anthropology. Sonja is learning to mould ethnographic methodologies such as comic, audio, video, photo, performance and sculptural explorations, to engage in healing on somatic, inter-communal levels and beyond. Living in Cape Town, South Africa, Sonja Nosisa explores mobility and transnational belonging, traditional healing and trauma healing in her academic, personal and artistic works.
Miché
@Viva_LA_VAN_
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Miché a two-spirit Latinx with roots in Mexico and the Southwest. Interestingly enough, living in the Pacific Northwest has brought them closer to their Aztec Danza community, as well as the two-spirit and LGBTQ community. They are a community organizer, a naturalist, a software developer, and an activist in each of these realms. Miché lived in their van for three years and traveled across the west working in conservation. They have a pragmatic spiritual practice which incorporates elements of buddhism and indigenous medicine. Miché identifies as transgender (female to male), yet two-spirit is their true identifier, because it resonates more with their indigenous heritage.
Jess Smith
@js.smtih
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Jess Smith (she/her, they/them) is a graphic designer and illustrator from the Dakota land of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Born of Chinese, Filipino, and European decent, Jess received training from the Savannah College of Art and Design were she is pursuing a career in the visual arts.
Raquel Busa
@maquina37co
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My story does not begin with me. Actually, I'm not sure where it starts. Somewhere in Puerto Rice, after centuries of colonialism, my Grandmother on my father's side was born into extreme poverty. I found her name listed on an old census. She was a maid. She had six children, and three of them died of hunger. My Grandmother on my mother's side lived in the Dominican Republic on a small farm that sustained her family, but they didn't have enough money to send their children to school. And somehow, my parents immigrated to the United States, married, and raised seven children.
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I am the youngest. I have a bachelor's and a master's degree. I traveled worldwide, and finally settled down with my wife and dog in Howard Beach, Queens, originally Canarsie and Munsee Lenape indigenous land. My name is Raquel Busa. My pronouns are she/her. I am a queer illustrator.
Myriesha Barber
@wearebeautifulcreations
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My name is Myriesha, an artist and creative from Toledo, Ohio. My artwork encompasses my relationship to nature and the community that has been created through this work of remaining in relationship to all beings in the creative process. My themes of nature inspired pieces accompanied by creative writing has allowed for an authentic expression of my relationship to the work but also encourages others to engage each piece more deeply as they meet parts of themselves. My collection of art titled, We Are Beautiful Creations, encapsulates my desire to bridge each element of creation including the natural world and emphasizes the beauty that lies in each living being as we continue to create our beautiful lives together in community.
Jess Smith
@LibertyAwakening
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Liberty (They/Them) is a coach for change creators - creatives, social entrepreneurs, healers and community leaders who want to make an impact in their communities. Liberty is of Nordic, Germanic, Ashkenazi Jewish, British, Irish & Slavic descent. They wield the art of social change through the mediums of community building, song, illustration and liberatory relationship. They studied Depth Psychology with a focus in Community, Liberation, Indigenous and Ecopsychologies at Pacifica Graduate Institute and have pursued various creative change-making and earth-centered healing endeavors. Aside from operating Awakening Creatives coaching and mentorship, they founded the Liberatory Library, a project for epistemic justice, and Hilltop Hearth Herbs & Art, an herbal self care & healing crafts business. They remain engaged in their creative life and are open for collaborations and commissions.
Supporting Black Trans Women
In the spirit of this project of promoting liberatory care, the artists voted on some organizations to donate some of the proceeds of the coloring book to. A portion of all proceeds will be donated to:
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