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Special Programs

Create! Birthparents Art Grant

What is the Create! Birthparent Arts Grant?

The Create! Birthparent Arts Grant supports birthparents who want to use art as a tool for healing, growth, and advocacy — literary, performing, or visual. If you have a project rooted in your adoption experience that's been living in the back of your mind, this is your invitation to bring it to life.

Our 2026 Create! Birthparent Arts Grant winner is Dr. Abby Hasberry, whose docuseries, Adoption Narrative Shift,  centers the people adoption most affects, but who are rarely asked to speak. The next application window opens in August 2027 - watch this page for updates as we get closer to August, or follow our Instagram page for updates. 

Why Art?

Shared Journey's Create! Birthparent Arts Grant is an opportunity for birthparents to utilize their creative and artistic talents to allow for expression and healing, providing a medium to share feelings, emotions and thoughts as they experience their adoption journey.

Our Create! Grant encourages projects that use the arts to allow for healing, growth, and advocacy in response to their adoption. Projects funded may include writing, music, performance and visual art.

 

 

Art is a powerful therapeutic tool.  It has been demonstrated to be beneficial in managing behaviors, processing feelings, reducing stress and anxiety, and increasing self-esteem.

  • Self-discovery

    Creating art helps acknowledge and recognize feelings that have been lurking in the subconscious.

  • Self-esteem

    The process provides a feeling of self-accomplishment which can be very valuable towards improving one's self-appreciation and confidence.

  • Emotional release

    Art can provide a healthy outlet for expressing and letting go of negative feelings and fears. Complex emotions such as sadness or anger sometimes cannot be expressed with words. Making art can help achieve emotional release when other means of expression are not possible - i.e. finding the right words to express thoughts and feelings.

  • Stress relief

    Fighting anxiety, depression or emotional trauma can be very stressful both mentally and physically. Creating art can be used to relieve stress and relax the body and mind.

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