Hi! Nice to meet you.
I’m India Braine, a Dean’s List student at Stony Brook University’s School of Social Welfare. Currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Social Work, I have a specific interest in library social work and would love to learn more about the use of creative endeavors in generalist social work practice. I’ve done volunteer work with the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley, the Cornwall Public Library, and Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic. I also spent time working under Vivien Collens, a metal work artist, as a studio assistant.
As an aspiring creative writer, I’ve won the Timothy Mumford Memorial Poetry Contest, was given a Silver Key in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, and was given the opportunity to have a poem published in Chronogram Magazine. In the future, I look forward to expanding my writing.
In the time not spent on schoolwork or work at my part time job, I enjoy reading, doing pilates, and spending time with friends and family. I believe that true human connection is one of the most crucial pieces of life, and I love to foster those connections in whatever ways I can.
Various Projects and Creative Endeavors
In January of 2024, my father and I spent hours circled around the dining room table, pouring our hearts into a piece of work later named “Intention” after the poem that inspired it (by Kay Ryan). We enjoyed working together so much that a new project was born, and we spent much of the year collaborating on an exhibition titled “Pictures About Words.” Pictured is a piece called “Greenery.”
Pictures About Words
After the “Pictures About Words” collection was finished, I continued creating other artwork in a variety of mediums. Over the years, I’ve filled many scrapbooks, junk journals, and sketchbooks. Pictured is a piece tentatively titled “Starcrossed,” made up of construction paper, magazine cutouts, and squiggles of marker and pen. This specific piece brings back memories of its conception, in which my best friend and I had a craft night, drinking mocktails and watching movies while we put together different cards and collages. This piece exemplifies the idea that all art has a story, whether that story is obvious to the viewer or not.
Other Artwork
Over the years, one of my favorite things to make has been cards for all sorts of occasions. Pictured is a ladybug themed birthday card, and the link will lead you to a Pinterest board of more homemade cards by me!