Hi! My name is Lucy Sinkkonen,

As an artist, student, and volunteer passionate about using creative expression as a bridge for healing, connection, and community. This August, I’ve been invited to travel to Quito, Ecuador, to lead a children’s art program with the Awaken Foundation. The initiative:

Art Through Healing: Harmony in Color, Nature & Expressive Forms

To offer kids the chance to explore their inner worlds through intuitive, nature-based painting sessions. These sessions blend vibrant color, rich texture, and natural materials to encourage emotional exploration and self-expression.

Art has always been more than a practice for me — it’s a powerful tool for transformation and healing. My own work explores themes of rebirth, renewal, and storytelling, and now I have the opportunity to share that spirit with children who can truly benefit from creativity, imagination, and safe emotional expression. During my time in Ecuador, I’ll be facilitating:

- Outdoor painting sessions in nature

- Expressive art using safe sensory-rich materials

- Collaboration with local volunteers and children

- Joyful spaces for storytelling, creativity, and connection

- Community building mural projects

- Planning and activating healing environments for local medical centers and hostiles — through art-informed space design

- Showcasing the children’s artwork in local galleries, cafés, and public spaces to celebrate their creativity and build bridges between community members

- Helping organize arts & culture events

- Supporting Awaken’s media, storytelling, and visual identity efforts to amplify their impact locally and globally

Why I’m Fundraising:

While I’m donating my time and energy, I need your help to cover the essential travel expenses that will make this experience possible.

Any funds raised beyond travel costs will go directly toward art materials and supporting the continuation of the program for the children after I leave.

Whether it’s $10 or $100, every donation brings me closer to making this vision a reality — and creates a meaningful impact on the children we’ll be working with.

You can also support by:

Sharing this story with others

Purchasing a bucket hat below from my fundraiser:

Awaken Bucket Hat

Follow along on for updates from the field.

Thank you for believing in the healing power of art — and for being part of this journey with me.