RAISED WITH ART, ROOTED IN COMPASSION.
Inspired by my parents. Expressed through art. Continued through service.

The Example They Set
The Compassion I Carry Forward

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My story begins with both of my parents. My mother nurtured my creativity, and my father showed me the importance of caring for others. Together, their examples shaped the artist and the person I am today.

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​My mother noticed my love for drawing and enrolled me in painting classes. Money was tight, so she searched couch cushions and laundry pockets to gather the eight dollars a month for my lessons. She found a way to support something that brought me joy, even when money was tight.

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My father showed that same generosity toward people around him. I watched him give money to people with signs on the side of the road, buy strangers a meal, and participate in fundraisers like March of Dimes. He was compassionate toward people in need and gave even when he didn’t have much for himself.

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My mother’s sacrifices gave me the opportunity to discover painting. My father’s actions taught me to notice someone else’s hardship and respond with kindness. Both showed me that what we offer can matter deeply, even when it seems small.

 

Giving What We Could

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As an adult, I carried those lessons with me. I volunteered and gave whenever I could. But I also came to understand hardship firsthand.

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As a single mother raising two children, I often worked two or three jobs, sometimes four at a time, to keep my kids fed and our household steady. After difficult divorces and major moves, providing for my little family rested on me. There were times when I donated plasma regularly just to afford gas and groceries. I still carry the scars today.

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I know what it means to work hard and still struggle to cover the basics. Those experiences deepened the compassion my parents had taught me. I understood how much a meal, a little help, or someone’s kindness could mean.

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One of our family traditions was putting together small gift bags for people experiencing homelessness. We used items from Dollar Tree, giving what we could afford. It was a way to pass along the generosity I had grown up watching, even while we were facing challenges of our own.

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Then came a time when I couldn’t afford even that.

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It hurt, but the examples my parents had set stayed with me: find a way to care with whatever you have available.

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If I couldn’t give money, I could give time.

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Christmas for the Homeless

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In 2017, I started Christmas for the Homeless in San Angelo, Texas.

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I arranged donation boxes at local dive bars and restaurants where patrons could contribute gently used winter clothing, nonperishable food, socks, gloves, and other necessities.

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For three years, the effort grew. Local businesses made room, people contributed what they could, and those individual acts of generosity became something larger.

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I couldn’t fund it all myself, but I could organize, reach out, and create opportunities for others to help.

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Bringing Art and Service Together

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Eventually, I remarried and moved to Georgia. My husband is one of my biggest supporters, encouraging both my art and my desire to serve the community. His support has become an important part of this next chapter.

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Then COVID hit. I could no longer volunteer as I had before, and I didn’t yet have the local relationships that had helped me organize collections in Texas.

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I found another path by making service part of my career. For a few years, I worked with The Salvation Army, where I had the opportunity to work directly with people in need. It was a meaningful chapter in my life, allowing me to put the compassion I had learned from my parents into practice through my everyday work.

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Still, I wanted to do more.

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I turned to art, selling my work and completing commissions to help support local programs. The contributions weren’t large, but I knew that small amounts could make a difference.

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The creativity my mother had encouraged and the compassion my father had modeled came together in a new purpose.

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That is where Samantha the Starving Artist was born.

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Hungry to Help

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Today, this website brings my artwork, products, and community resources together with that purpose in mind.

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I continue to donate to local organizations and volunteer at my local food bank. I partnered with an Atlanta organization and donated a portion of the proceeds from a solo show. I also reach out to local groups about donation, fundraising, and participation opportunities.

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I would love to contribute more artwork to fundraisers and build more relationships with organizations serving our communities.

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My goal is to grow my art business into something that supports me while giving me more freedom to serve. I want to make a living creating and make more room in that life for helping others.

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I am Samantha the Starving Artist, and I am hungry to help.

 

The Dream I’m Growing Toward

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My “win the lottery” dream is a community center with a garden, a soup kitchen, and space for art classes. A place that welcomes people who need support and people who want to offer it.

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I imagine growing food for the kitchen, sharing meals, and using art sales and classes to help fund the work. I also want to offer young people going through difficult times opportunities to volunteer, find connection, and experience the power of giving.

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That dream carries something from both of my parents: a place to nurture creativity, as my mother did for me, and a place to meet people with generosity, as my father so often did.

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For now, I keep looking for the next thing I can do with what I have. Their examples remind me that we don’t have to have a lot to offer something meaningful.

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With Love and Gratitude

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To my parents, thank you for nurturing my creativity and teaching me compassion. To my husband, thank you for believing in me and supporting this dream. To my children, thank you for sharing this journey, including the difficult days and the moments we found ways to give.

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To my family, friends, and followers, thank you for every purchase, share, kind word, and bit of encouragement.

 

You are all part of what I’m building, and I’m grateful.

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With Respect and Gratitude,

SA

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Community in Action

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This story is still unfolding. Here, I’ll share community projects, volunteer experiences, fundraising efforts, and opportunities to get involved as they develop.

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Thank you for taking the time to learn why this work matters to me. Whether you’re here for the art, looking for support, or finding your own way to give back, you’re welcome here.