A New Project!
I’m excited to share my new project with you! In addition to working on music, there are other projects that I have been engaged in recently. About a year ago, I began the process of writing two children’s books on the lives of Amelia Collins and Taraz’u’llah Samandari. They were two unique individuals whose character and service to others are exemplary. I chose to write about them because children’s books of uplifting role models are quite scarce. However, the main reason I wanted to write about them was because my children are named after these two precious individuals.
As children’s books are illustrated with lots of color and beautiful pictures, I had started collecting photographs of them for the books. The photos I found were black and white so I was determined to find a way to have them colored. A few months ago, I had the pleasure of finding a wonderful artist who digitally colors photographs (thank you Alice). She has transformed each photo so beautifully (we had to receive special permission to color the original photographs). Here is a sample of one of the photos of Amelia Collins that will be included in her book.
At this time we have almost completed the first book about the life of Amelia Collins and hope to find a way to publish it soon. The photographs are lovely and I look forward to sharing the finished product with children and adults too! Here is a photo of my own Taraz and Amelia to whom the books are dedicated.
Thought of the Day:
“…regarding the education of children: It behoveth thee to nurture them…and urge them onward to the things of the spirit…that their ways may conform to the rules of good conduct and their character be second to none; that they make their own all the graces and praiseworthy qualities of humankind.” – Abdu’l-Baha
7 Comments
hi
great work, may Bahaullah help you.
I would be glad if I could help you with things like digital photos and their editing.
warm greatings
Semere Bahta
My love Elly
So happy this project is taking shape.
Well done!
And a B I G Congrats!!
Wow! What a great project! Keep up all the wonderful creative endeavors!
Dear cousin, I am thrilled to hear about these books. I’ll have to check back and see when you’ve gone to publishing. Glad I found your blog.
Hi Semere, thank you for your kind offer in wanting to help with the photos. I hope we will have an opportunity to work together at some point.
Thanks Javad for your encouragement!
Dear Tracy – so wonderful to see you on here. Thanks for visiting the blog!
Mum love – thanks again for your love and support. 🙂
Dear Elika, I am still on my road trip and have time to read more of your blog. It’s exciting to see someone carrying through on dreams that they have. I’ve had so many amazing dreams of ways to serve humanity but very few of them have come to fruition. It then becomes difficult to continue to dream and be imaginative. That you are in surroundings that lend themselves to acting upon your dreams is wonderful. The way I’ve found helpful for myself is to talk about my creative ideas with others, especially the younger generations and hope that they can take part of my creative ideas and live them out. It’s been a lesson in detachment and a realization that these mini revelations of how to serve aren’t just meant for me.
I had trouble learning to read as a child though I was athletically and musically very active. My mother was very open to new techniques. She sent me to an art therapist in 1958, I still remember, to help me unlock my perceptions of things. I think it really worked. In Junior High I fell in love with reading biographies. Learning about other peoples lives has always been so inspiring for me. The small series about Lua Getsinger ( I can’t remember the exact title…Helper), the Black Rose, I think it was the Scottish Visitor and I can’t remember the others. They were very special to my children growing up as special role models.
It will be wonderful to have more that they can now read to their children. Amelia Collins has been a fascinating personage for me. So sacrificing. I now live in a community with a woman who knew and worked with her. They were very dear friends. She just celebrated her 93rd birthday on our front porch during our 4th of July celebration. When we gather in her home I love to stay after everyone else goes home and listen to all her life’s experiences. She is much of the reason I was inspired to move to the small city we live in presently. Gee, I should write something about her too. She has been videotaped and interviewed but I think she would especially love the idea of having a children’s book written about her. She was never able to have her own children and has been dedicated to nurturing her nieces and nephews and all young people she comes in contact with. I won’t share her name at this time until I consult with her. She is very humble.
Your Blog is also like a biography, of course, and it’s wonderful that we have immediate ways of sharing our lives with others. Thanks for being so open with your life. Many are benefiting from this. Sincerely, Anna
Dear Anna, thanks for sharing all your thoughts and stories. I love hearing about them and thanks also for your encouragement with this blog. It hasn’t been easy writing often and so openly sometimes – so I’m so glad you feel it has been beneficial.