Shawn Van Daele of Renaissance Studios has just begun The Drawing Hope Project where he takes 20 drawings created by young children born or living with health conditions and turns them into epically magical photographs. This real-life storybook is meant to inspire others, giving them hope that anything is possible.
Each photo shoot takes between one or two hours but post production can take up to eight.
When asked what he's learned throughout the process, Shawn told us this, “I've learned that we (as adults) have so much we can learn from children (with health conditions or not). They take life as it comes, one day at a time. These kids face what's handed to them with grace and strength, and they've learned that from their families, who are equally strong and courageous. It's so easy to take life for granted, as cliche as it sounds – there is always something bigger than yourself or your problems that can put it all into perspective for you. This project does that for me, and has done so already for many people. I've also learned where my heart is – this project is the most rewarding thing I've ever done; using the talents you've been given to put ‘good' out into the world while doing something you love…it doesn't get any better than that.”
There a few more spots left in The Drawing Hope Project storybook Volume 1 (children can submit their drawings here) and Shawn is already planning Volume 2.
What a wonderfully inspiring project!
