Rethinking Homeless
Are you homeless? Most of us have a comfortable house a, stylish loft apartment or at least a friend or parent’s roof over our heads. But artist and SMU professor, Willie Baronet, challenges the traditional definition of the word in his blog entitled we are all homeless.
Willie found his own way to help homeless people in need and create art at the same time. When Willie sees a homeless person at an intersection, he offers to buy their sign. He’s amassed quite a collection paying from $4 to $25 per sign. From the typical Bible verse variety to one that explains a man’s wife and dog were kidnapped by ninjas, and the sign holder needs money for kung fu lessons, Willie’s collection runs the gambit.
Over the course of this project, Willie has gotten to know many homeless people and it has gotten him thinking of his own homelessness – not the lack of shelter, but the idea of home. Home can be anything from a physical structure to people, places, things, or feelings. Most of us are blessed to have many of these things, but everyone is missing something. Willie’s art invites us to remember that nothing is granted, things can be lost, and to be thankful for the “home” we do have. It also inspires one to reach out to the people around them and help however they can. Listen to Willie’s story in his own words, and check out some of his artwork.
