ever since I was a young child I knew
exactly what I wanted to be when I grew
up I wanted to be a representative of
the Lubavitch Ariba
a blessed memory forever was a spiritual
leader who inspired and influenced
hundreds of thousands of people around
the world he sent representatives all
over to the Jewish communities and
beyond to help spiritually physically
once a college student came to visit
their Abba and asked a brave question
what exactly is arriba their ever
answered Arriba
is a soul geologist a soul geologist
what’s that their ever continued within
the earth there lies hidden infinite
wealth of resources fuel precious metal
metals gemstones but you have to know
where these resources are so geologists
will tell you where to dig and how to
dig so to within each and every human
being there lies a boundless treasure
this treasure is the infinite potential
of the soul and this treasure can remain
hidden it is the job of the soul
geologist to help others find their
treasure by telling them weird to dig
and how to dig and therefore in 1994 my
husband rabbi levy Shem Tov and myself
trying theer to represent the Reba’s
incredible work
that services children and adults who
have special needs we wanted to continue
this work to dig uncover and say that
there is a precious gem within each and
every single human being over the past
24 years I have been lucky to watch
thousands of miracles happen with those
individuals that no one thought they can
make a serious contribution to society
I saw them be empowered rise to the
occasion and show just a glimpse of who
they really are and today we will share
with you a story of a remarkable young
woman who just 7 months ago
surprised everyone around her including
herself but before you meet Felicia I
want to introduce to you Anthony March
hello everybody
I’m Anthony March Laney the programs and
and I’m only a small link in a chain of
people who encouraged Felicia to keep
going until the right tools could be
found when Felicia was to her mom could
see that she was determined to draw but
crayons kept falling out of her fingers
so her mom taped the crayons to her
hands in middle school a teacher’s aide
Irene believed that Felicia should
participate in art class like the other
students so she attached a paintbrush to
her foot and Felicia painted for the
first time a couple of years ago the art
space sole studio opened and Felicia
wanted to come to the studio and
continue her passion for making art when
she arrived she told us that what she
really wanted to learn how to do was
create a self-portrait so we said oh
okay well let’s figure that out so we
created things like head gears with
attachments on them so she could paint
with her head
we gave her a paintbrush to hold in her
mouth to paint and we too taped
paintbrushes to her hands in her feed
but none of this really satisfies
Felicia so we thought what haven’t we
tried how can we play to her strengths
after all she only really has control
over one body part and there was our
answer you see
Felicia uses a
tablet with eye tracking software which
allows her to control a pointer on a
computer screen as you would a mouse but
with her eyes
so we downloaded drawing programs and a
staff member Adam tested it out to try
to see if he could make a drawing using
this machine Adam had been drawing for
over 35 years using his hand but drawing
with your eye
there’s Felicia drawing not easy but
Felicia was convinced and determined she
knew she could do this so we set her up
on her first drawing but we told her
it’s gonna take some practice
maybe after about two years of really
working on this you might be able to
create something that resembles a face
and so after 2 days Felicia presented us
every line drawn using her eye and in
the days weeks and months that followed
her skills grew angry Oh ladies and
gentlemen let me present for you
Felicia Bowers
hi my name is Felicia Bowers I’m an
artist I also have cerebral palsy
you’ve seen my art now I want to tell
you a little bit about what my art means
to me because I have cerebral palsy I
sometimes feel trapped inside of myself
it’s also frustrating that people don’t
think I’m all there they don’t take the
time to get to know me they don’t talk
but that was before now that I have
discovered my art my soul is able to
shine through I feel that I have no
limitations I am free people appreciate
me for who I am they talked to me I even
got celebrity spotted the other day at
the park by a stranger who had read
about Mayer in the newspaper please
understand I am NOT a more valuable
person because of my special talent I am
a valuable person because we all are
infinitely valuable and that infinite
value within each of us is the soul my
art has simply given me away for my soul
to shine my message to you is that we
all have infinite potential
we all have an infinite treasure inside
of ourselves so surround yourself with
people who believe in you who see you as
more than just a limited body people who
see you as an unlimited so thank you
very much
[Applause] [Music]
exactly what I wanted to be when I grew
up I wanted to be a representative of
the Lubavitch Ariba
a blessed memory forever was a spiritual
leader who inspired and influenced
hundreds of thousands of people around
the world he sent representatives all
over to the Jewish communities and
beyond to help spiritually physically
once a college student came to visit
their Abba and asked a brave question
what exactly is arriba their ever
answered Arriba
is a soul geologist a soul geologist
what’s that their ever continued within
the earth there lies hidden infinite
wealth of resources fuel precious metal
metals gemstones but you have to know
where these resources are so geologists
will tell you where to dig and how to
dig so to within each and every human
being there lies a boundless treasure
this treasure is the infinite potential
of the soul and this treasure can remain
hidden it is the job of the soul
geologist to help others find their
treasure by telling them weird to dig
and how to dig and therefore in 1994 my
husband rabbi levy Shem Tov and myself
trying theer to represent the Reba’s
incredible work
that services children and adults who
have special needs we wanted to continue
this work to dig uncover and say that
there is a precious gem within each and
every single human being over the past
24 years I have been lucky to watch
thousands of miracles happen with those
individuals that no one thought they can
make a serious contribution to society
I saw them be empowered rise to the
occasion and show just a glimpse of who
they really are and today we will share
with you a story of a remarkable young
woman who just 7 months ago
surprised everyone around her including
herself but before you meet Felicia I
want to introduce to you Anthony March
hello everybody
I’m Anthony March Laney the programs and
and I’m only a small link in a chain of
people who encouraged Felicia to keep
going until the right tools could be
found when Felicia was to her mom could
see that she was determined to draw but
crayons kept falling out of her fingers
so her mom taped the crayons to her
hands in middle school a teacher’s aide
Irene believed that Felicia should
participate in art class like the other
students so she attached a paintbrush to
her foot and Felicia painted for the
first time a couple of years ago the art
space sole studio opened and Felicia
wanted to come to the studio and
continue her passion for making art when
she arrived she told us that what she
really wanted to learn how to do was
create a self-portrait so we said oh
okay well let’s figure that out so we
created things like head gears with
attachments on them so she could paint
with her head
we gave her a paintbrush to hold in her
mouth to paint and we too taped
paintbrushes to her hands in her feed
but none of this really satisfies
Felicia so we thought what haven’t we
tried how can we play to her strengths
after all she only really has control
over one body part and there was our
answer you see
Felicia uses a
tablet with eye tracking software which
allows her to control a pointer on a
computer screen as you would a mouse but
with her eyes
so we downloaded drawing programs and a
staff member Adam tested it out to try
to see if he could make a drawing using
this machine Adam had been drawing for
over 35 years using his hand but drawing
with your eye
there’s Felicia drawing not easy but
Felicia was convinced and determined she
knew she could do this so we set her up
on her first drawing but we told her
it’s gonna take some practice
maybe after about two years of really
working on this you might be able to
create something that resembles a face
and so after 2 days Felicia presented us
every line drawn using her eye and in
the days weeks and months that followed
her skills grew angry Oh ladies and
gentlemen let me present for you
Felicia Bowers
hi my name is Felicia Bowers I’m an
artist I also have cerebral palsy
you’ve seen my art now I want to tell
you a little bit about what my art means
to me because I have cerebral palsy I
sometimes feel trapped inside of myself
it’s also frustrating that people don’t
think I’m all there they don’t take the
time to get to know me they don’t talk
but that was before now that I have
discovered my art my soul is able to
shine through I feel that I have no
limitations I am free people appreciate
me for who I am they talked to me I even
got celebrity spotted the other day at
the park by a stranger who had read
about Mayer in the newspaper please
understand I am NOT a more valuable
person because of my special talent I am
a valuable person because we all are
infinitely valuable and that infinite
value within each of us is the soul my
art has simply given me away for my soul
to shine my message to you is that we
all have infinite potential
we all have an infinite treasure inside
of ourselves so surround yourself with
people who believe in you who see you as
more than just a limited body people who
see you as an unlimited so thank you
very much
[Applause] [Music]
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