ABOUT CHIRAGI Am 15 years old and a Freshman at Mount Si High School. I am also an artist and I create gorgeous art through different mediums including oils and acrylics on canvas. I am a social entrepreneur and I support charities through the proceeds from my art. I have donated over $20,000 from these sales to many charities including Seattle Children’s Hospital, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and others.
I am also the founder of Creative Children for Charity (3C) whose mission is to empower 1 million kids and teens to donate their time and talent for charitable and social causes. I have spoken at TEDxRedmond, and SAM KID 2014. Thus far, organized over 25 events in various communities and brought thousands of kids and teens to contribute their time and talent to various charities in the region. MY STORIESDISCOVERING MY PASSION
At the very beginning of 2006, it was almost the start of the basketball season and I had just turned 5 years old. My parents wanted me to be basketball player, not just want but they were eager for me to be a basketball player. However, when they took me on to the basketball court, I ran into the corner and sat down and cried my eyes out. The reason was that I just had an absurd disliking towards the sound of basketballs being dribbled across the gym floor. My parents were taken by surprise, more than that they were frightened with this and didn’t know what to do. There asked my godmother, and asked her, if she had any advice to solve this situation. She thought art would be something I would be interested in. She introduced me to colors, and to say the truth, I just loved it. I could mix colors all day long if I could. When I was mixing colors I was in total peace, nothing could bother me or upset my mood. FINDING MY PURPOSE 4 years later, when I turned 9, I was forced to change art teacher because the art studio closed. My new art teacher was Miska and she was just as amazing as Sally. Miska and I hosted a small Holiday Hearts Event at her house and invited friends to join, we raised over $500 dollars for the Seattle Children’s Hospital. At that moment, I realized that there was a greater possibility for others to come together through creative experiences and support a non-profit. THE GREATER GOOD At one of our events, I met Tracy a 7 years old girl. She appeared to be an ordinary kid. She appeared to be a kid who goes to school and comes back and does her homework and plays with her friend, but that really was not the case. Let me share with you a small part of Tracy that I was able to unlock. At the event, Tracy painted two almost identical canvases of a house. I was puzzled why two paintings? I decided to talk to Tracy, and learn more about her. I found out that the true meaning why she had painted this was so she would be able to give one painting to her brother who lived in a foster home, and she would keep the other one and put it up in her room. She wanted to show to her brother that one day they would be together in the same house forever. I realized that visual arts can bring people together for the greater good and help us achieve a higher level of understanding between each other. |