Page 9 - MidWeek - July 6, 2022

JULY 6, 2022 MIDWEEK 9
Book Pick Of The Week
Maui author Trish Michael recently released
the children’s book Find Your Happy. It’s filled with illustrations by Arantzazu Fouz Garcia that follow the theme of looking for the good in life. According to Michael, it’s the perfect read to help youth through hardships, trauma and daily life. Find it on
Amazon and online at trishmichael.com.
One of the podcasts I listen to discussed the RAIN
(recognize, allow, investigate, nurture) method of mindfulness and how to use those steps to navigate difficult emotions. I wanted to learn more and found out that the concept is from author Tara Brach, who wrote Radical Compassion: Learning to Love Yourself and Your World with the Practice of RAIN. The book dives deeper
into each step and offers practical applications and testimonials of how people have made RAIN work for them.
Finally, thank you to reader David Wagner, who addressed my query regarding where to find Alfred Hitchcock’s 1951 film Strangers on a Train. He says it plays occasionally on TCM, and also is available to borrow from the public library. I already have it on hold!
by Nicole Monton
Creativity Is Good For The ‘Sole’
Moanalua High School art students (left) won first place with their decorated shoes (above left and right) for the 2022 Vans Custom Culture High School contest. PHOTOS COURTESY SHORELINE HOTEL WAIKĪKĪ AND VANS
“Working on these shoes was a really fun, yet challeng- ing experience,” states Olivia. “I discovered a new medium of art and got to meet new people who share my passion.”
If at first you don’t suc- ceed, try, try again. It’s a phrase one group of teens took to heart, proving that striving for greatness can pay off in big ways. Eleven of Moanalua High School’s art students invested 300 hours into decorating two pairs of blank shoes, and their efforts earned them the No. 1 spot in the 2022 Vans Custom Culture High School contest — com- plete with a $50,000 grand prize that will go toward the campus’s art program. And on that note, congratulations are in order for Dianne Cabico, Jenna Francese, Daysha Lynn Gonzales, Jaida Lyn Kamau- nu, Pikakepoinaolemaikala- ni Lee, Ya Wen Liu, Yvonne Liu, Geanelle Ramirez, Nikki Wong, Emily Yanos and Olivia Yoshida — and their art teach- er, Jeffrey Fujimoto.
It’s a sentiment 11th-grad- er Dianne echoes: “The en- tire process, from sketching the initial designs to allocat- ing specific workdays that would last hours to paint on the shoes, though it was te-
dious, was all worth it.”
If these youth have inspired you to try something new, I’d love to hear what your venture
nmonton@midweek.com
Throughout July, readers have the chance to check out the winning shoes (and some designs from previous years), which are on display at Shore- line Hotel Waikīkī.
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The teens pulled inspiration from Hawai‘i’s history and landmarks, as well as local flora, fauna, pastimes and arti- facts, to create works of art fit for the contest’s “hometown pride” theme.
Since the competition’s in- ception in 2009, Fujimoto and his students have been entering creatively decorated shoes, but were never able to capture the grand prize — until this year.
“This is our 13th year doing it, lucky No. 13,” says Fujimo- to with a laugh. “But it’s not about the money. It’s about the kids having pride in what the art program does at Moanalua and public schools in general.”