Duncan Ferguson
Case Western Reserve University - Weatherhead School of Management
David Cooperrider
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Randy Heart is an artist, educator, and motivational workshop leader in Washington DC. His passion is to inspire youth and others--especially people of color and those who are underprivileged--to believe in themselves, find their passion, build relationships, and pursue their dreams. He uses graffiti art, and his cartoon characters “Parker Cloud” and “Billow” to inspire positivity, motivation, and connections between people.
“Dreamers Avenue,” “Parker Cloud,” and Randy Heart Art: Mr. Heart leads workshops and classes in positivity, imagination, and "belief in self" and others using art as a motivational tool.
Mr. Heart delivers his inspirational classes and workshops through schools, recreation centers, senior living facilities, at birthday parties, out-of-school programs, and more. His message and purpose is to instill positivity, self worth and the ability to see value in others, seeking and pursuing dreams, and believing in a better future.
His “Dreamers Avenue” program has several key components that all support a strong sense of self and connection with others:
• A self-reflection work sheet that asks participants to creatively answer:
o What makes me happy?
o What can I do to make others happy?
o How can I use my talents to better my community?
• Tee Shirt Art (with a positive message)
• Sock-Puppet Art
• Building a “Motivational Box”
• Community Murals where participants work together to design an inspiring artistic message.
Participants’ work is shared with others in the workshop, and creatively reflected upon in an environment of mutual support.
“Through art, the heart is quickened and the mind is stimulated, which moves us into the future and creates a visual narrative of our history on this Earth.”
The inspiration for Parker Cloud, and Dreamers Avenue came about as a result of Randy Heart’s experience of overcoming difficulties in his own life, seeking and finding his own strength and passion, and choosing to share that process with others so they can thrive. While overcoming difficulties with money, working to sustain a career in art, and caring for a sick mother, he struggled to find himself. So he utilized graffiti and cartoon art as an inspiration for himself and as a way of promoting his hair cutting business.
To get himself through hard times, he exposed himself to “positivity” and motivational practices, which he enhanced with his art. Then he came to a realization that this is what he wanted to do for others: to motivate people through art and positivity to believe in themselves and their dreams, to stay strong, and pursue those dreams. He has turned this dream of helping others into a successful business.
Randy Heart through his “Dreamers Avenue” workshops, and characters “Parker Cloud” and “Billow,” a talkative cloud, has touched hundreds of youth and others over the past three years through this business. He has inspired many disadvantaged youth and young people of color to believe in themselves, explore and express their dreams, strengths, and aspirations, and build friendships and community.
“Dreamers Ave. was inspired by a fictional story about a seven-year old boy named Parker Cloud. Parker serves as a euphoric leader in his classroom and neighborhood who forms healthy relationships with his peers and resolves conflict with positivity. Parker helps motivate, encourage, and inspire those around him with his imagination and the support of his best friend Billow, a talking cloud. Billow is funny, energetic, and charismatic. Together, they spread the importance of believing in dreams.”
Mr. Heart is hired by schools, recreation centers, senior living facilities, and others to provide classes, workshops, assemblies, birthday parties and special events to deliver his positive message. The business is the innovation and the success of his for-profit business is the business benefit.
In addition to workshops, which vary in length from one or two hours to days, Mr. Heart offers products for sale at events and on line at: http://www.parkercloud.com/shop/ . Products include books, coloring books, T-shirts, pins, all featuring Parker Cloud style artwork. He also sells paintings and is available for hire as a muralist.
Mr. Heart helps lift up the spirits and passions of disadvantaged children, with the ultimate goal of helping lift them out of poverty through quality, creative, and engaging educational programs. He seeks to build friendships and community, and to embolden individuals to pursue and make something of their passions, whatever they may be.
“Kids leave with a feeling that they matter.” Imagine the power of a child knowing they matter when his "uncle is trying to have sex with him and whose brother is selling drugs on the street."
Mr. Heart bases his work on three pillars: Motivation, Morality, and Imagination. He may add a fourth: Friendship. He explains:
“We are divided within our own communities. We too often define ourselves by neighborhood, and don’t like others from other neighborhoods. This prevents us from changing the world together.”
So he promotes friendship across all lines, neighborhood, race, culture, religion, etc.
He teaches the aspiration: “I will be the somebody who makes everyone feel like somebody.”
“Christian, Muslim, [whatever]: it doesn’t matter here, self-confidence, free expression, positivity is what it is all about.”
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Randy Heart, Owner-Founder
Dreamers Avenue provides quality educational and inspirational art-based classes and workshops for children. Dreamers Avenue instills sustainable values in young minds through inspirational tools that assist youth in realizing their ambitions and dreams.