Story of an Art Student at Tibetan Children’s Village

Story of an Art Student
Tibetan Children’s Village
India

 

A young woman in the Traditional Art School is a physically challenged local girl who is very hard working. She graduated in thankga painting (a Tibetan Buddhist art) from the center and these days she is practicing the art and making her ends meet.

She says, “Introducing myself as an artist makes me feel so fortunate and reminds me of the gratitude I have toward all the amazingly kind people who helped me climb up the stairs of my dream! I was 3 months old when I got the polio virus in my legs. Since then, my outer world became so small and my physical strength has limitations. There are many boundaries I cannot cross, but my inner world was always so eager to fly high. I found colorful wings of art in me. This helped me not to be drawn into the darkness of disability.

As I grew up, I found my colors needed meanings of positivity; my drawings needed perfection; and my thoughts needed shapes. I needed direction, guidance, and a Guru who could teach me how to make a perfect painting. I got admission in TCV traditional thangka painting school in Patlikuhl. It is here where I learned to fly higher than I ever thought. Teachers not only taught me the art but also how to look at the beautiful world. TCV helped me in every possible way. The teachers, sponsors, friends and the amazing art cared for me, helped me, and motivated me. I passed my 5 years course in 2011, and now, I call myself an artist. Thank you Tibetan Children’s Village, and thank you all pure souls.”