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containR Youth Mural Project: Final Blog Post by Zainab Majid

This was one of the activities we did during the online camp. We thought of things we wanted to change. This was a starting point for ideas for our murals.

Team work makes the dream work. This was only an empty saying I heard, without much meaning to it. Or so I thought. I started this journey when I received an email from Stephanie about summer programs with Antyx this year. I’ve always been fond of writing and sharing my ideas with other people, so when I found out they were recruiting youth bloggers to document the process, I jumped at the opportunity. After a short application and arrangements for transportation, I was all set for the project. 

We began by attending camp everyday virtually from July 12-16 for four hours. Although it seems like a lot, it was valuable because it helped us get to know each other and think of ideas. Between activities and conversations, we discovered each other’s art styles and developed new ideas. We used Pinterest to share our art, which became a starting point for our final idea. During the four days, I learned the importance of colour theory and composition, and how to be inclusive and avoid bias in my writing. This helped me discover the theme I was going to use throughout my writing and ensure I was being respectful. In the end, I decided to write from a more personal point of view instead of making it formal.  

Eva and Tanea, two of our awesome youth artists, pose with their spray paint masks and practice using spray paint.

The week of July 19-23 was exciting and important for everyone. Artists got to work putting their ideas on the walls, and as a blogger, I began documenting the process, taking pictures of their progress, and conducting interviews. During the process, we decided to change things while we were working on them. The ‘While We’re Young’ mural team changed their colour scheme based on how it looked on the wall. The turtle island team debated adding a tear to the turtle for added emphasis, and the Limbo team added more colours to give a spookier vibe to the piece. We faced issues like running out of spray paint or losing the cap, and a big problem we faced was the heat wave during the week. The artists worked long hours to finish their work, and they had to stay in the sun while keeping their spray paint masks on to stay safe and finish their work. That’s dedication if you ask me!

In the background of this photo, you can see me and Vanessa having the interview. It was a lot of fun, and despite the frequent disruptions in the area, we manage to sneak in a lot of laughs and get meaningful answers.

This was taken at the showcase event, where all the participants were invited to the stage to share a few words about their experience with the audience.

I also faced some challenges as a blogger. Discovering a writing style I was comfortable with was hard because I usually write narrative or expository writing for school that uses formal language. I wanted to find a way to document the process without being too formal, so I settled on writing with a more personal touch. Coming up with interview questions was also a challenge. I had to find the perfect balance between personal and art-related questions, while keeping inclusivity in mind and trying to avoid bias.

The showcase event, held on July 28, was a big day for everyone. It marked the conclusion of the entire process, which was both saddening and exciting. We got to step back and celebrate our success with friends, family, and the community. The event started by acknowledging the land we were using and by introducing our sponsors and facilitators. Everyone involved in the process (including bloggers) were invited to the stage, where we all introduced ourselves and answered questions about the project. I was also fortunate enough to secure an interview with Global News, in which I answered questions about the murals, how I felt about them, and the messages they conveyed to me. We had the chance to take lots of pictures with family, facilitators, and the murals, and we also had art-related conversations with members of the community.

Here I am getting interviewed! It was a total surprise, but when I got the opportunity , I was really excited! My mom took several photos to remember this experience!

Lastly, I gave a speech on my experience as a blogger and how much I enjoyed the process. It was really overwhelming to receive so much support from everyone and acknowledge our success throughout the two weeks. We all accomplished unique things and reached different goals, and everyone had things to be proud of! The showcase event, held on July 28, was a big day for everyone. It marked the conclusion of the entire process, which was both saddening and exciting. We got to step back and celebrate our success with friends, family, and the community. The event started by acknowledging the land we were using and by introducing our sponsors and facilitators.

Here are some team photos we took on the last day we worked on the mural.

To sum up, I would like to thank everyone who made this project possible, including our sponsors and facilitators, Stephanie, Bryan, and Kerz. I really enjoyed the whole idea of being able to experiment with a new medium to give a message to the public, and I loved capturing memories and documenting the process. I always felt really included during the process, especially since bloggers were also invited to the online camp even though it was used for brainstorming ideas for the mural. We got to contribute our ideas and see them come to life, instead of just being isolated as writers. I appreciate being included in every step of the way, and I hope to work as an artist next year for a similar projec