My Story Workshops :: Every Child Has A Story

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My Story is proud to present the photographs of youth living at New Columbia, a mixed-income housing community in North Portland’s Portsmouth neighborhood. This summer, 24 New Columbia youth captured their home lives and community in a series of stirring portraits, and learned basic darkroom techniques at Newspace Center for Photography. The youth featured in this gallery come from a variety of backgrounds, and have faced a number of challenges in their lives. They expressed themselves with honesty and candor, and shared their work with the community at an exhibit an exhibit entitled “How I See It.” This was My Story’s third summer working with New Columbia youth. This project was supported in part by a grant from the Oregon Arts Commission and the National Endowment of the Arts, a federal agency. This project was also supported by a grant from Community 101, a project of the PGE Foundation, and by a generous donation from Newspace Center for Photography.

$I feel like I\'m a superstar when I write, because I can really be in the zone. I can write about memories I still have. Also, I\'m in a quiet place where no one is around.$

$I like CREW Academy because it helps us with problems that we used to have. When somebody talks about us, we used to get mad, but they tell us to keep calm and don\'t fight, because it is not worth our time.$

I love when I write poetry, because I can let others know how I feel, and at the same time give them ideas about what they want to do with their lives.

$I love to draw when the music is blared up loud and I feel like I\'m in the zone!$

When I sing, I feel like I am the only one alive, and it makes me feel like a firecracker.

When I grow up, I want to be a construction worker, just like my mom.

If I see someone doing something wrong, I tell them, and help them get back on the right track.

$I\'m lonely every day, all day.$

When I draw, it makes me feel calm and relaxed. I draw when I'm nervous, scared, mad, sad, or frustrated. When I draw, I can express how I feel at that moment. It always makes me feel calm and relaxed.

I am hopeful that I get to spend the rest of my life with someone.

$I\'m a leader because I\'m myself, and not what someone wants me to be. I don\'t do the same thing someone else does just so I can be cool. I\'m a leader by doing my school work and by not getting in fights!$

$When I read it makes me feel like I\'m somebody else. I can feel what a person in the story is feeling. When I write, I feel like I\'m creating a new person. I feel good because it\'s my own little world. When I draw, I feel peaceful, like I\'m the only person and all I have to do is draw.$

New Columbia

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NathanielAge: 12

When I grow up, I want to be a construction worker, just like my mom.

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