#togetherstrong
Matt beside his creation – #togetherstrong
72″ x 12″ on 1″ and 2″ blocks
Why #togetherstrong?
I had just returned from an amazing vacation celebrating a milestone birthday in one of my favorite places in the world. I celebrated with wonderful friends and was in a great relationship for the first time in a very long while (still am, I’m happy to report) and I was on top of the world. Not three days later, I learned of the attack at Pulse. And like so many others, my life was changed immediately. There was heartbreak, of course. But also anger, helplessness… fear. This was an attack on US, not the U.S. And some of the people I love most deeply in the world didn’t understand, because they aren’t us. I felt very alone.
That’s when I realized I needed my community more than ever. An idea was born, which spun very organically out of the work I’d been doing with neon signs and letters. Alone we may be many things, but together we are unstoppable. It is so easy to focus on what makes us different. But when we look beyond that and come together…. amazing.
And the message isn’t just for us. Yes, I created it in the colors of our flag, but every community that’s being turned upside down by the horrible environment of hate and discrimination in our world can understand. We need each other now more than ever.
Once the design for my piece was finished, it was a quick step to turn all these negative emotions into a push for good. And while I’m just one man in an ever-more-crazy world, this t-shirt is my attempt to do that. I have never tried something like this before. But my heart still aches for the victims and their families. And I was tired of feeling helpless. I appreciate your support.
Thank you to everyone for your support. We raised almost $2,000!
Thank you for generously helping the victims of the Pulse attack. The check has been sent to the OneOrlando Fund!
Information about the OneOrlando Fund: www.oneorlando.org
