My name is Dana Cooley, I am a visual artist in Baltimore City. There are many questions to be asked about who I am as an artist. Well, I consider myself a maximalist, when it comes to how I make art I tend to smother it with ideas. I am also a perfectionist when it comes to my technique. Outside of my general mediums like paint and colored pencils, I enjoy watching and making films, And I love fashion. I feel when I was younger I would take all of these things for granted. I got the most energy out of making things but I never would, it’s honestly one of my biggest regrets not doing any of this sooner. Instead, I had only followed dreams that I attained by watching others and being jealous of them. But over time I've learned to be patient with myself because things come over time, and if there’s something I'm truly meant to do it will come to me. Something I've learned about myself is that I want to be fully expressive and emotional, I find it hard to make art without a deeper meaning or originality and I value others' perspectives. I  want people to feel challenged when they see my work and a need to reflect and connect my artwork to their lives. I want to be remembered as truly innovative and original. As well as being an inspiration to others, not because of my artwork but because of who I am.

It was the end of our meditation with Sara Clark and the reflection question of the day was why we felt like we belonged. Before I started writing why I belonged I felt like I was trying to convince myself. Because it was the first day and I wasn’t sure why I belonged. Of course, I completed the long application process and took the necessary steps to get to my first day at Bai. But what made me so special? I honestly felt drowned out, 40 people all in one room. How was I supposed to stand out? There were more energetic people than me, more outspoken people than me, even more artistic people than me, and that’s like my whole thing! But then I opened my morning pages and started listing all of the reasons I was here. I was alone in my thoughts only able to tell the truth. I started writing about what kind of person I am, and what I'm bringing to the table. And how important I am outside of bai and it allowed me to open my eyes, become comfortable with the people around me, and start to make connections.

• Being talented

• Applying to Bloomberg

• Having a great supervisor who introduced me to Whole Foods in the area

• Having a fun job in a great area 

• Being hungry

• Needing to feed my artistic talents

In this video I took a walk, It was the first day of my second week and I had a lot of extra time so I went on a walk. A little more specifically I wanted to clear my head, I was balancing a lot of different things, with the job and on top of that, relationship issues. It was getting to my head and becoming stressful for me to continue working. So I listened to music and went on a walk and took that time to regulate my emotions, it helped me see that I was struggling but it also helped me see what I needed from others and myself. It gave me pure clarity and confidence to later address how I was feeling and go about it in a healthy light. At the end of this walk, I sat on a bench that I now sit at every morning before work. And apply the morning mindfulness that I have adapted from BAI. I put on my headphones and listened to meditation music while I told myself very assuring affirmations. It helped me a lot, I was able to take things I learned from our meditation with Sara Clark and take it with me outside of the A4L headquarters. Every time I open my eyes on this bench I feel calmer and like a more regulated person. I can only be grateful for what got me here

Learning new things every day

I sit to learn how to manipulate clay

In doubt, I pout as I ponder my success

But I am still curious as to what is next

I put the clay on the wheel and watch it spin

And I try not to crank the speed to ten

The feeling of something new

In replacement of what is no longer true

I take my hands to make a dome

And spread the clay into what could be a bowl

I look back to see what I have made

But it’s nothing I want to claim

I ball it up and throw it to shame 

Then I try again the next day

Making friends and most importantly BONDS has always been a bit complicated for me. I always worry that I'm not connecting with people, making me feel behind and left out from others. But at BAI it has been truly different, I've found so many ways to be connected with others and myself. I've found ways to connect with myself and be confident in myself and who I am. My new friends are truly uplifting and make me happy and prepared to adjust to new spaces.