つくることは一歩踏み出すこと
つくることは心の色をぬり変えること
つくることは生きること
つくることは明日を変えること

TO MAKE IS TO TAKE A STEP FORWARD
TO MAKE IS TO PAINT THE COLOR OF THE HEART DIFFERENTLY
TO MAKE IS TO LIVE
TO MAKE IS TO CHANGE YOUR TOMORROW

Masako Takahashi
Catastrophe and the Power of Art (2019), Mori Art Museum, Tokyo

Last month, I walked through the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo to see "Catastrophe and the Power of Art," where I found the above words by Masako Takahashi. She launched ARTS for HOPE nine days after the trifold earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disasters in 2011, providing workshops at countless evacuation shelters to help people. One project involved making colorful ornamental items. Another made dolls for children to replace toys washed away by the tsunami. Another made pillows. (There never were enough pillows in those shelters...) Through the making, people fought the darkness and despair, daring to "take a step foward" and "painting the color of their heart differently."

The 2011 earthquake had a huge impact on me also. For six months, it was my job to help in relief and recovery efforts as only artists can. I never understood until then the "power of art" in catastrophe, and the lessons learned through that experience eventually led me to start Community Arts Tokyo.

As we enter the year 2019, may we not forget! Art has much more power to heal and change lives than we know! By sharing these stories with each other, we can encourage one another toward fulfilling our task of church planting and bringing a foretaste of the city-to-be.

What are you making? What are you up to? Send us your stories!