I Have An Absolute Faith in the Capacity Human Beings for Good
A short overview of my life
I am from Colombia. My country is the gateway to South
America, blessed by the waters of both the Pacific Ocean, to the west, and the
Atlantic Ocean, to the north. We are rich in natural resources, such as coffee,
emeralds, flowers, fruits and biodiversity.
I have been teaching English and Spanish since I was
fourteen years old, when I started tutoring other children at the bilingual
school I attended in Colombia. I also started writing books when I was just a
child, but did not publish my first one until 2001. When it comes to my art, I
can’t remember a stage in my life when I was not recreating my surroundings
with any material I found. I was always told art would not pay for a living, so
I simply created out of an intense need to capture the magic of the world
around me.
The most life-altering experience I have had was living in
the Amazon Rainforest for a year. I am a passionate advocate of nature, and the
lessons I learned from the people and the animals I met in and around the River
changed my outlook on life forever.
I started creating and illustrating bilingual books because
of my own children. I homeschooled when we lived in New Orleans, when we
decided to make a new life in the U.S. I simply could not find the kind of
books that I wanted them to read, so I decided to create them. Later on, I had the opportunity to
produce and anchor an educational television program in Colombia, geared for
children. It was then that I understood the potential of a multimedia approach
to language learning.
I love learning about other cultures and countries, and have
been fortunate to travel to many places and love to share my experiences. There
is so much to be learned from other peoples’ everyday lives!
I have two children, a 19 year old daughter and a 17 year
old son who are still my favorite students. We speak Spanish at home and life
goes on around us in English. We have always lived in the south because we do
not like the cold, we definitely are tropical flowers. So far, we have lived in
New Orleans, Dallas and we are enjoying San Antonio immensely.
I was trained as a teacher and taught for twenty years. I
have linguistics as a background, a passion for languages and the heart of an
artist. I have had my own publishing company for six years. Thanks to it, I
have also been able to help people to publish their own books. I am currently
teaching art and meditation, tutoring and teaching English and Spanish and
continuing to write and create art.
I have been married to my Colombian sweetheart for 22 years,
and we still are adding twigs to our nest. It has been a fascinating,
ever-evolving journey. Recently, I
read that it is predicted that today’s professionals will be forced to redirect
their careers an average of five times in their lifetimes. Looking back, I
realize I have done precisely that, and this adventure has allowed me to
discover hidden talents and to overcome fascinating new challenges.
I dream about someday returning to the Amazon and creating a
school and a native fishery where people can swim right along with the fish. I
do not think my life’s surprises have all been unwrapped yet, there are still
many productive years to come, and so are yours. Our journeys are still
unfolding, promising so many exhilarating possiblilities, and who knows, the
future of the rainforest and our sustainability might be in the hands of
someone my art or my words can move to action. Perhaps one of you can unlock
the puzzle of sustainable progress and you might be able to lead us so that,
together, we might find a better way of living in our beloved planet without
destroying it.
I have an
absolute faith in the limitless capacity of human beings for good. I believe
that each and every one of us can label our life with a purpose. I think that
is why I chose Lunita as the name of my company, which means little moon. I
have always prayed to be light for others. Language is the magic code that
allows us to explore the world and figure out what our role is within its
unfolding mysteries. I hope that my books, my art and my stories become the
treasure maps for this quest to many adventurous souls.
With Immense
Love and Gratitude Always,
Lina M. Cuartas
