By: Lea M.
When I initially joined the Lime Green Giraffe, I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into.
I signed up because my sister was already a member and would come home after every meeting telling us about all of the fun activities and field trips she had done. At my first meeting, I spent the entire time focused on blending into the background, trying to escape notice. I signed up to do an article with a couple of other girls but was too embarrassed to propose the idea that I had wanted to do. I was terrified of me or my writing being seen, and it hadn’t truly occurred to me that in joining the LGG, I was agreeing to actually publish my work.
After a couple of meetings, I quickly learned to put aside my insecurities. The LGG is about fostering
creativity, and the supportive community I found pushed me to embrace and pursue my interests. As I began submitting my art pieces, and although they weren’t especially good in the beginning, it was the motivation I needed to put aside my fears and focus on my love for creating. When I wanted to pursue my art, the LGG allowed me to do so, letting me submit illustrations over writing pieces. Through this, I was able to find purpose through my passions and apply what I was learning. I was given the opportunity to illustrate various covers for special editions and graphics for writers’ events, even the cover to the poetry zine the LGG put together a couple of years ago. Despite everything, this initial encouragement still pushes me today to try new things and believe in myself, such as using my art to make a difference through the completion of my Gold Award project.
Above all else, the LGG taught me to step out of my comfort zone. I was able to try so many new things through field trips, like helping at a community garden or shooting a movie at the Georgia Aquarium. The community that I found within the organization, from the adult volunteers who I knew would support me no matter what, to my fellow Girl Scouts who were like me with their love for writing and art, would always be there for me. Even when I left for boarding school and could no longer attend in-person meetings, I never once doubted that the LGG had my back and would always allow me to be a member.
Even now, it feels impossible to say that this will be my final submission to the Lime Green Giraffe. After all of the years of field trips, badges, events, and creation, I can’t even put into words the tangible impact that being a member of the LGG has had on me. I am so incredibly proud to have been able to be a part of this organization and able to contribute in every way I could. I truly cannot thank the Lime Green Giraffe enough for everything it has done to shape me into who I am today.
No comments:
Post a Comment