My Illustrated Adventure

Shannon Beasley Start Date: Aug 24, 2016 - End Date: Dec 21, 2016
  • Educational/Research Trip
  • Professional Development
  • Vacation/Personal Trip
  • Vancouver, BC, Canada
  • Mexico City, Mexico
  • Ecuador
  • Argentina
  • Bolivia
  • Los Angeles, CA, Australia
  • Las Vegas, NV, Australia
  • California, Australia
  • Portland, OR, Australia
  • Seattle, WA, Australia
  • Big Sur, CA, Australia

My Travel Story

by: Shannon Beasley Start Date: Aug 24, 2016 - End Date: Dec 21, 2016
  • Educational/Research Trip
  • Professional Development
  • Vacation/Personal Trip
I embark on my West Coast adventure September 2nd, I will be heading down to Central and South America spending less time in the USA to save money. My main objective whilst I am away is to build a strong Artist Portfolio and create lasting relationships with a number of community and creative centres. I have given up my full time office job to travel the World, meet people from different backgrounds and experience new cultures. It was a huge step but something I felt I had to do to follow my dreams of becoming a full time artist and in the hope of setting up a Global Art Collective and a strong online presence with the creatives I meet along my journey. 

I have saved as much as I can for my trip however have struggled to reach my goal, due to personal reasons completely beyond my control. Luckily I can still travel and I'm determined nothing is going to stop me fulfilling my dreams! I want to forge lasting relationships with creatives across the Globe starting off on the West Coast, Central and South America, eventually covering all continents. We will have an Online Global Art Collective site, where people from all over the world can exhibit their work for sale, share ideas with others across the globe and have a sense of closeness with people of other backgrounds and from other cultures they perhaps would never have thought of sharing with before!

I want to make the world a better place through creativity and in my own practice I focus on using patterns, mandalas, our planet, environment and our solar system. This allows me to appeal to a broader spectrum as my work is not something I would desire to see in an uptown Art Gallery, I want people from all backgrounds be free to ejoy the Arts not just the select few. I feel very passionate about gaining invaluable knowledge and inpiration on my trip and utilising this to help build lasting relationships with others.  
I was inspired by the London based Art Collective Assemble. They recently won the 2016 Turner Prize and have created a sense of community in Toxteth, Liverpool; an area that has suffered over the last 30 years due to government cuts. Assemble worked closely with the community and restored faith to the people of Toxteth. Living in the area over the last four years gave me the opportunity to see exactly how beneficial the Arts can really be on society and how much of a difference an Art collective can actually make. It gave me hope and made me realise I want to help others, I want to do that by using my passion for Art. When I return from my travels after 12 months to Liverpool, I will be studying a Postgraduate Art Therapy course, as well as finishing my Yoga teacher training. In between my studies in 2018 I aim to visit Africa to work with some community centres in Malawi.

My partner works for a specialist college for children who have not suceeded in their exams in school and we will be working closely with Greenbank College upon our return. By this time I will hope to have a storng online presence for our Global Art Collective, we already have qualified Maths, English, Textiles and Science Teachers happy to tutor for free, Two Doctors willing to do First Aid and CPR courses too, I will be doing Art Therapy sessions, Yoga sessions (paid & free) and managing the online Art collective site. It is an idea I have had for years and I thought combining it with my travels would ensure I can expand the concept to others. 

I have never had the chance to travel, I funded myself through my Undergraduate University course and have been working hard since Graduating in 2009 to pay off the debt I incurred whilst studying so have always had to work a mundane office job! I'm now at the point where I can travel after saving for the last 18 months, however I could do with a little help to get myself started! In order for the Global Art Collective to really get off to a good start I want to have the ability to visit as many countries as possible and forge lasting relationships with other creatives. My savings goal was £10,000 however as previously mentioned unforeseen circumstances meant I could not reach this target. I have £6500 saved, I know I can live on this for approx 8 months as I will be camping, staying with friends and family and I really don't believe in living a lavish lifestyle. I can't wait to live a nomadic lifestyle but at the same time start building myself a career I love and feel passionately about! I hope you can help me start my new journey and fulfill my dreams!


  • Vancouver, BC, Canada
  • Mexico City, Mexico
  • Ecuador
  • Argentina
  • Bolivia
  • Los Angeles, CA, Australia
  • Las Vegas, NV, Australia
  • California, Australia
  • Portland, OR, Australia
  • Seattle, WA, Australia
  • Big Sur, CA, Australia

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