John Olander
Our first creative contribution came from John Olander (aka Johnny O.) in 2017. Nicole Huguenin introduced us. (Read about Nicole on Spotlight Saturdays.) Nicole lived in Denver, CO, where she met John. John lived on the street but made time every day to visit the library for a writing group. Nicole saw the story about under1000skies on Kindspring.org and offered to connect us with John. The next time she saw John at the library, she gave him one of the artist packs I’d sent.
The packs:
They included the following note:
*True story. My idea almost ended before it began. John took all the photos and gave the film to Nicole. Nicole sent it back, and I put it in an envelope to be developed. Then, somewhere between my house and the post office, I lost the package. I was devastated. I finally got the courage to tell John what happened. He was very cool about it. He said he would send poems. As for photos, John also said disposable cameras are obsolete now. Most people who are unhoused need phones (which have cameras) to receive notices about shelter openings and food availability. Most unhoused people who need phones can get them through the city. Solved. (Thank you, John, for being so understanding.)
John’s response was the only one I ever received (out of the many packs sent out), but he has been a superstar ever since.
This is John’s first submission:
In the not-too-distant future, you’ll get to read John’s memoir. We met weekly for a few years, and now meet once a month via Volunteer Biographers (another heartsong) to keep track and plan the publication.
John truly is, as he coined the term, a “Dot-Connecting Change Agent.” He is a beacon of hope and light in Denver.
Artist Pages
Each contributing artist gets their own page(s). Here are John’s pages:
Cord X
I met Cord on Simbi.com, a platform where you can use an alternative currency (Simbis) to trade goods and services. You can also search for specific services. My first request was for creative contributions from anyone experiencing housing insecurity. I explained how I would be featuring their work on our website. Cord responded, and we began chatting. Cord contributed several poems and photos. He is an exceptionally talented poet and photographer.
In November 2020, Cord found housing and became a leader in his community, helping others every day. Cheers, and so much gratitude to Cord for all he has done and contributed to under1000skies.org. I’m so glad we met. He is a light-filled, creative spirit and a beautiful person.
MJC
John Olander introduced me to MJC via email and phone. Majik is a poet and a chef in Denver, so doubly creative! His poetry is raw, powerful, and from the heart.
under1000skies 