Susan Nisinzweig
Riverside, CT
I have created an online storefront that combines my interests in reducing bullying with my autistic son’s artwork. We have delightful designs with meaningful messages that teach children about respect, acceptance, kindness and giving.
In addition to selling T-shirts, posters, notecards and more, we also have a fundraising model for schools to use so they can raise money to purchase more materials, programs or speakers to focus on reducing bullying and building self-esteem. One of our designs is of a school surrounded by children representing a caring school community.
As the parent of three children, one of whom has autism (and is about to turn 30!) and as a social worker, I really care deeply about helping kids feel good about themselves and accepted by their peers. A few years ago we decided to print some of my son’s designs onto T-shirts to fundraise for the agency that provides services for him.
I was inspired to add phrases to them that would convey messages about respecting differences. The shirts were a big hit and I wanted to take this message out beyond our community so I learned what I needed to create a website.
One of the items on our website is a poster set that includes questions and exercises I prepared to help teach children the meaning of respect, self-esteem, acceptance and love, helping create healthier environments in classrooms. Our local school district asked if my son could draw a picture that they could use on their school norms poster. The image he drew of a school with children surrounding it can be seen on our website. The poster is hanging in every hallway and in every single classroom throughout the entire district.
As one gets older, I think there is a freedom to go with your heart when choosing an encore profession. It’s the time to think about the ripple you want to create and the legacy you want to leave. I believe that when an idea keeps coming back to you over and over and it makes your heart race with excitement, it is a sign that this is something that you should do! At some point, it’s time to listen to that inner voice and take action.