"Concha"

In the dry and dusty northwestern mountains of Nicaragua, in a small community called El Ojoche, Concepcion ("Concha") and her family survive off the land and the sale of the beautiful handmade pottery that she makes using a small stone oven. It is a skill passed down generation to generation among the women of the community. Even though for years the people of El Ojoche were ridiculed as "dirty" due to the stains the bright red earth left on their hands, Concepcion and others have continued to make piggy banks, chickens, and planting pots to provide for their families.

Over the last two years, I have seen firsthand Concepcion's determination to "seguir adelante" (move forward) and her joyful creativity as she molds and shapes the clay on the dirt floor of her humble home. She reminds me that the criticism of others should never stop us from doing what we love, and that even--and maybe especially--in the most difficult circumstances, creating beauty matters.

[Note: I wrote this short reflection as a submission to an exhibit by Open Hands Studios, whose leadership includes my good friend, video production genius, and cultural anthropologist Jeff.]