Don’t get envious; get inspired. Don’t get angry; get busy.

Ava creates powerful, provocative video on her site www.peacetakescourage.com

Three years of design/multimedia courses have taught me that inspiration is everywhere. You just have to train your eye and brain, so you recognize it when you see it.

I saw it when I read about Ava Lowery, an Alabama teenager, and her vlog, peacetakescourage.com .

She’s an amazing spirit who wields images with artistry and power. She started making these “animations”- her term, not mine – back in 2005, as a way to protest the Iraq war. News reports say she was 16 when she started.

Her work has brought her national attention, both good and bad. She’s been on CNN. She’s gotten death threats. And she keeps on doing her thing.

I love her sophistication. I love her commitment. Despite her youth, she’s a role model. If she can have such an impact at 16, what can I, a woman in her 50s, do? So whenever I get blocked or overwhelmed, I look at Ava’s site and her work.

Then I remember the slogan that serves as today’s headline.