“My daughter is in fourth grade. My son is in sixth grade. And I’m that dad who gives them a message in the morning before they go off to school. The main thing that I kind of beat into their heads is, ‘Your purpose is to change the world, just a little bit, in a positive way.’

“There is so much negativity out there. We see it on the news. We see it on social media. We’re fed it every single day. That’s why I’m so inspired when I see someone go against the grain to help people make better choices and to get past the barriers we have to break.

“Recently, I’ve spoken at a few schools because I know that our youth can be strongly influenced one way or the other. Right now, their minds are like sponges. So one of the things I tell them is that whatever they believe is impossible, it’s really not. It’s about reaching your potential and having confidence in yourself, more than anyone else.

“As cliche as it sounds, the first step is to believe in yourself. Whatever circumstances you may come across, you have to know it’s just for that moment. Getting caught up in that fear, it blurs our vision to the point that we don’t want to experience it again. We’re afraid to experience failure.

“But if you want to be successful, you have to be willing to accept failure. You have to allow yourself to fall, but then get back up again and keep marching forward. It takes patience sometimes. But in the end, we all are capable of achieving our goals, of becoming who we truly want to be.”

— Vincent Grant

Related:

• He’s helping people reach their full potential

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“When I was young, my mom would sit me down while she worked out. She took care of her health and her body. She had health books laying around everywhere. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I guess that was kind of setting the foundation for me.

“About my junior year in high school, I was always working out. I was the first guy to get there and the last guy to leave. As I was showing progress, some of the guys in the upper class took notice and started working out with me. And once I saw that, I fell in love with it. I saw what taking care of your body and your mind, and really training hard and staying focused, can do for you. That’s when I started falling in love with what I do now.

“My job as a trainer, as a coach for my clients, is to find out what lights their fire and gives them the potential to get to where they want to be. I help keep them accountable and stay motivated. Life is going to do life. Life’s job is to smack you down and stomp on you. It’s your duty, if you choose to accept it, to rise up and fight against it. To be able to climb that mountain, to cross that stream, you have to apply the effort. We all want to be successful. I’m just trying to help people reach their full potential in life.”

— Vincent Grant

Related:

• ‘We all are capable of achieving our goals’

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“One of my biggest fears was whether my art would really stand out. I wasn’t sure if people would accept my work as being authentic and original. I wanted to know if I could actually make a living doing this.

“When I started, it was not easy. And it’s still not easy. I have to push myself everyday to keep it going. I have to try new things, new forms of art, whether it’s by hand or whether it’s digital. I prefer pencil. It’s my favorite. I do a lot of black and white portraits, unless something is requested in color.

“And I do most of it here. This is my home. This is my studio. It’s the place where I find rest, refuge, everything.

“All of these pictures that I have hanging up, they’re just reminders. These are pieces that I haven’t sold because they have a mark on them or they are unfinished or I never planned on selling them. They all took time, energy, effort and skill, all those things that I need to have with me everyday. So I get up, and this is what I see when I walk from my bedroom. This is what helps get me up and get me going every morning.”

— Welton Williams

Related:

• ‘Wherever my heart takes me, that’s where I go’
• Deaths of brother and mother inspire artist
• Artist’s hands help mend a grandfather’s heart

The post Artist continues work on his confidence and craft appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“Kids are very smart and imaginative. The world hasn’t sucked it out of them yet. If they have an idea or concept, I’ll make a logo or graphic for them. I usually do the first one free.

“Some people might need a logo to help believe in themselves, to have a visual aid that inspires them to follow through with something. If I’m the one who can provide that, it’s a pretty cool feeling.

“Honestly, I think it just takes one person. One person to step into someone’s life and be encouraging, be inspiring, be motivating, be determined, and not because that person wants money in his pocket. That’s what I’m trying to do. I believe that if each person would inspire and help one other person in this world, it would be amazing here. We’d have one hell of an Earth.”

Related:

• Artist continues work, even while homeless
• He’s no fan of the business side of art

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“It’s kind of weird because I’m not struggling now and I’m not quite sure what to do with that stability. I have food on the table and the rent is paid, but I find myself wishing I still had that instability to keep me motivated.

“At the same time, I feel like something is going to hit. You know, like a meteor’s coming because that’s life. Maybe that’s it, and I’m just anticipating the next big thing.

“I guess you just have to wait and go with it. But what if I’m planning for a disaster that never happens?”

— Cotie Klenk

Related:

• Looking back, she’s grateful for life on the road

The post She’s waiting for that next meteor to hit appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“I was in CPS (Children’s Protective Services) since I was 4. I left at 18 because, you know, I’d been in there so long. After that, we got married and just decided to come down here. We’ve been homeless ever since, going from shelter to shelter.

“It’s hard because you never know how long you’re going to be there or when you might have to leave. Most shelters only give you a maximum amount of days. But we’re actually getting into transitional living so we can have our own spot.

“My husband just got a job at the Exxon plant. We’re trying to become more stable. With our son now, family keeps us motivated.”

The post Seeking stable life after living in homeless shelters appeared first on The Baytown Project.