This brief explanation was written by a student who had just made a smiling face out of seashells, red beans and pumpkin seeds (photo) during a “Heart Play, Mind Play” (Up-cycling Healing Art) class, held on August 6 at a children’s center in the Daejeon area. This is a creative crafts program started in 2013 by Kang Myung-soon, who chairs the board of Busrugy (Leftovers) Love Sharing Community. It is a representative program of the “Tree of Life Movement,” through which Kang is endeavoring to spread a culture of respect for life, and to prevent suicides by children and young people.
She said on the 13th, “Over the past six years, we have led 84 Heart Play, Mind Play workshops in 23 cities, with participation by 1,907 children, agency staff and others…Many of them, in the process of creating artworks out of discarded things, underwent changes in their hearts and minds, and came to respect life.” Using “junk,” the children made trees of life, crosses, smiling faces, flowers and trees, families and other images. Along with these they wrote their impressions, for example: “What was trash to other persons became useful material to me,” “The cross taught me love,” “Seeing the trash turn into an artwork, I realized I can be reborn, too.” Following the programs, Kang has produced and distributed booklets of the children’s artworks and writings.
“These children, afflicted by family violence, living separately from their parents, or suffering from other wounds, have in many cases been comforted and recovered their confidence as they transform discarded things into artworks,” she said. “Through the children’s works, adults also awaken to God’s love and are comforted.”
Reporter Narae Kim (narae@kmib.co.kr), with Marion Kim (marionkkim@icloud.com)
Original Article in Korean:
“버려진 것들로 하나님 웃는 얼굴 만들었어요”: 부스러기사랑나눔회 ‘생명나무 운동’
