Hello Springhouse community!
My name is Zephyr Callister, I’m 17 years old and I have been at Springhouse for five years now. Today, I would like to share with you a story of the most potent moment of my Springhouse experience. This story unfolds on a high school trip to Franks Island, during an art project where we were making linoleum carvings to print on little cards to leave around town.
On this particular day I was struggling to put my thoughts and ideas into a cohesive design. My identity as an artist was wrapped up in all these negative feelings of pressure, expectations, and the outcome needing to look a certain way. I remember that I actually started to cry and was so stressed about this little project. My mentor at the time, Roxanne Greenberg, took my hand and led me outside, away from the busy environment and out onto the peaceful beach.
We then began to walk into the water, fully clothed, until the water was up to our waists. She then held both my hands, looked into my eyes and said the one thing I needed to hear most, “you are enough.” Repeating it, until I echoed it back to myself. For the first time in months, I believed it. The card I made was perfectly simple. It said “you are enough,” and it’s one of my favorite prints.
I now have them spread around my house as little reminders. The journey toward self love and acceptance is an ongoing journey, but I genuinely don’t believe I would be where I am today without the constant love and support from this community. Thank you all for reading my little story!
~Zephyr Callister
