MUNCIE, Ind. — Grow With Me Glass is a local business started by Kiley Jimenez. She is completely self-taught and is always looking to share her love of art with the community. Kiley started stained glass art in 2020 when she was going through personal battles.
“I was going through some personal stuff, and I needed an outlet,” said Jimenez.
She spoke about how during the pandemic, she chose to teach herself stained glass art to escape her own head.
Her mom saw what she was doing and convinced her to take it to the next level, despite her initial doubt. She eventually started selling her art at local markets and then started collaborating with Cornerstone Center For The Arts to hold classes. She wanted to start teaching because she saw that people also wanted the same outlet that she once did.
“Literally every single person that takes my class is doing it for a reason of their own. Just the same reason why I started,” Jimenez explained. She spoke about how every single person who walks into her class has a unique story, and she loves learning about them.
To most people, this isn’t just about having fun, it is about connecting with others and building something beautiful and full of light when the world around us can feel so dark.
“Just trust the process. You think it’s going bad right now, keep doing it, trust the process, go through the motions. By the end of it, even if you think it’s going to be the ugliest thing on the face of the Earth, you still will have a finished piece, and it's gonna turn out a lot cuter than you think it will,” said Jimenez.
This piece of advice that Kiley Jimenez lives by doesn’t only have to apply to art. It can also apply to life, a reminder to always keep going no matter what it looks like right now.
Contact Cameron Noe with comments at cameron.noe@bsu.edu.
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