
Action vs. Compassion: Standing Up for Kindness in a Terrifying World
There is no doubt about it, the world is spiraling in a frightening and dangerous place, the like of which I haven’t seen in my lifetime. With the threat of nuclear war being bounced back and forth between world leaders and hate groups like the KKK and the Nazi’s openly marching or planning to march in cities across the US, it’s like our collective “fight or flight” instinct is on hyper-drive. Stay and fight or run to a safe space and wait it out? I don’t think I am the only

Elephants are the glue that holds the universe together. No, really.
I love my life, I really do. Its taken 53 years to find a career that fills my spirit, makes the world a better place and keeps me on my creative toes. Arte for Elephants does that and more. Arte for Elephants (AFE) has been around since 2015 and has gone through several shifts and adjustments as most businesses do, until it (and we) morphed into our current iteration. Traveling the US state-by-state, mile-by-mile, in our RV, setting up our booth at art, vegan and craft fairs

When there are No Second Chances
Yesterday I was shocked to learn (through social media) that a young woman I had worked with a few years ago took her own life. Apparently, to judge by the posts of her friends, it had happened just that day and the sentiments on her FB page were all of disbelief and horror. One message, written in all caps, desperately pleading, “PLEASE DON’T LET THIS BE TRUE, COME BACK TO ME! COME BACK”. Though I had never met the man who wrote the above post, I could hear the pain and ang

The Time is Now. Light Your Candle.
We are getting hit, there is no doubt about it, each and every one of us is getting hit. Compassion is taking a beating everywhere we turn. Regardless of your political beliefs, your religion or your ethnicity it seems like the world is going haywire; tensions with N. Korea, acrimony in the US Government, natural resources under threat, tensions in S. America. From Brexit to the Middle East, the waters of our ship seem suddenly tumultuous and uncertain. With our world of 24/7

MAYDAY! Hearing The Call and Taking Action
Yesterday was May 1st, historically, a day of huge significance for cultures around the world. To the ancient Celts it was the day of Beltane (the spring festival of rebirth) the Greeks celebrated with flower baskets, parts of the UK still see the spring in with maypoles, garlands and Morris dancers! What a terrific way to honor what we at Arte for Elephants and our many fabulous friends, are working towards. Rebirth. Sanctuary is really a place of healing and discovery for a

It's Earth Day and We LOVE Seeds!
Arte for Elephants just came off of the single best weekend we have ever had!! We did a three day, spring arts and crafts festival in lovely downtown Lompoc, California, a charming community in the coastal region of Central California (made famous by the movie, Sideways). It seemed that EVERYONE in Lompoc was super hot to help elephants. We raised money and donated a whopping $325 today to the Global Sanctuary for Elephants in Brazil. But if you've ever been to an Arte for El