Using art to inspire the youth, and give them a better future

CAMBRIDGE, Md. – An artist out of Cambridge is using art to inspire the youth. We’re told she’s working to implement murals all over Cambridge, to continue her mission.

Miriam Moran is a self taught artist with a knack for the youth. We’re told her paintings have been featured in first lady Yumi Hogan’s book.

Moran tells us, she’s used art as a therapy tool to help her through some rough times in life. “So I want everyone to start thinking things much better in a better light in their mindset,” says Moran.

Now she tells us, she works tirelessly with the youth to help them see there is more than violence to choose from. Moran adds, “I know there’s a lot of negative things going on, but we have to start learning how to embrace our community and to start loving one another, and start doing what’s right and stop thinking about just the negative.”

As long as you have passion and drive, you can make change in your community, and change your path in life. “If we speak life to these children out here, it’s going to make a difference,” says Moran. She adds, “Just even one compliment to a child that you just walking by in a store, that will lift them up.”

We’re also told, not only is Moran an artist, but she works at the Cambridge Boys and Girls club, and she uses her life experience and art to help inspire the youth. “They’re able to see a different perspective of their lives, about their world, about their creativity,” says Gabriel Butler, the Boys and Girls Club manager.

Butler tells 47 ABC, he’s know Moran for years and has seen her grow as a person through all her hardships. He says, it’s inspiring to see how far she’s come, and how hard she works to give back to the youth to show them they have a better future. “We see the value in what she’s doing and how she’s impacting our kids and that is very important for us. Our mission is to make sure that every kid that we touch reaches their full potential,” says Butler.

With mentorship from Emory Jones, and support from local city officials, Moran says its an honor to represent Cambridge and be a light for the youth. “It’s time for us to start helping each other, to use my gift that God has given me to start seeing things differently and start having discussions, whether it be tough discussions,” says Moran. Butler adds, “Her murals should be all across Cambridge. You can come from small beginnings and become something very great, very impactful and also leave a legacy here in Cambridge.”

Moran and Butler both tell us, they want to continue supporting the youth throughout Cambridge through art, and other means to keep kids off the streets, and on the road to success.

“As long as they believe in themselves, as long as they put in that work and not always think about what people are going to say, all the negative things they’re going to say, people are going to say things good or bad,” says Moran. “But it’s up to you to do what’s better whether it’s either seeing the glass half full, instead of half empty.”

If you want to learn more about her story, just click here.