What would the world look like if more of us centered love?
If that question makes you curious, you're probably in the right place.
Heart-Strong is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit bringing people together to work toward a world where more of us are pulled by love than controlled by fear.
We're an emerging organization on a big adventure.
We don't have a master plan, and we probably never will.
How could anyone say they know what it takes to build a world where more of us center love? We can't. We're going to learn along the way. We're going to make mistakes along the way. But we do know we are going to do it in community.
You might be thinking this sounds naive. Soft at best. Delusional at worst. And people ask what makes us think we can do this.
It starts with belief. Somebody has to believe it's possible. The rest is the courage to try.
Here’s What We Are Working on Right Now
Heart-Strong started as a Substack. Now it's a nonprofit that has a Substack. Storytelling is where this began and it's still how we work. Every project uses story to invite people to get curious about something it would be easier to look away from. This isn't everything we're doing, and it isn't everything we will do. It's a snapshot of this moment.
Our Current Projects
This is our lead initiative right now. It started with a children's book about a boy who notices that being a boy comes with rules nobody says out loud. That book became 2, and we hope 2 becomes millions more stories of Little Yous. Stories that reach kids before they put parts of themselves away, and ask grown-ups to get curious about what they already did.
This is where we share the adventure as it happens. What we're learning, what we're building, and where we're getting it wrong. We write about where love and fear show up in ordinary life, and we publish while we're still figuring it out. That's uncomfortable and exactly the point. Watching someone think out loud makes it easier to try it yourself.
Before microphones and media, we had fire. It was the first circle and the first stage, and Campfire Conversations are our way back to it. These aren't interviews. We sit down and talk about purpose, love, and fear, and no topic is off the table. Most of the time we leave with more questions than answers.
FROM WITHIN is an online gallery founded by 6 men inside a Virginia prison. Making art is how many of the artists get through. Every piece carries the story of who made it and why. Learning that story means looking at a "criminal" and seeing a person instead. That isn't easy, and it changes both sides. All of the profits fund programs that use art to help people heal.
The primary thing we ask for is curiosity.
Curious about yourself and what you believe. Curious about people you disagree with. Curious about the systems you've just accepted. And maybe most importantly, curious about why curiosity feels so dangerous.
And that might be the best way to describe what we are. A curious collection of people, projects, and organizations that found each other. Some are artists and some are writers. Some are storytellers and some are listeners. Some are planners and some are builders. But all of us are learning and curious.
And we would love for you to get curious with us.
That starts with subscribing to our Substack. It's where we release Stories from the Adventure and Campfire Conversations. It's where we send updates about FROM WITHIN and Project Little You. It's where we share our progress and invite people in.
Subscribing is free. Some readers choose to pay, which helps support the work. Either way, you get everything.
Here are some of our most recent Substack stories if you are interested in seeing what you might experience.
Curious about other ways to support our work?
Make a Donation
Why are our donations built around 5?
It’s a reminder that a great way to get curious is to start with 5 questions. Who? What? When? Where? Why?
We'd love for you to consider giving $5 (once, every month, every year) to support our work.
Heart-Strong is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, so your gift is tax deductible.
Browse the FROM WITHIN Gallery
100% of the profits fund programs that use art to help people work through anxiety, depression, and addiction. Creating something is one of the surest ways to quiet fear. The programs we support reach people who otherwise would not have access to them.
Full Moon Rises
Justin Robertson
He taught himself to paint two years ago. He gives the work away because it is what he has to give.
See this painting »
Shawna: A Father's Love
Tremayne Seymour
A father's journey to break through the walls to his daughter's heart. He paints to manage anxiety, and now teaches others to.
See this painting »
Love is All Around
J Gardner
Even in the lowest of places, you can find love if you just look. An Army veteran who found art in his sixteenth year inside.
See this painting »Contribute Your Talents
We're a small, scrappy group, and we're always on the lookout for people who have talents to share. After all, we all have something to give. And we all have something to learn.
Some of our immediate needs include:
Graphic Design & Identity
Grant Writing
SEO
Social Media
Google Ad Grant Management
But our needs certainly don’t stop there. If you have something to share, please do reach out.
