Each year, my birthday reminds me of the incredible gift the arts have given me - the ability to see the world not just as it is, but as it could be.

This year, instead of gifts or flowers, I’m asking you to give the gift of creativity - by donating to Arts for Learning.

Across Indiana, there are children who have never had the chance to hold a paintbrush, move to the rhythm of live music, or see their stories come alive on stage. In a world filled with challenges and uncertainty, the arts are not extra - they are essential. They give young people a voice, a sense of belonging, and a way to imagine a brighter future.

At Arts for Learning, we meet this need every single day. We partner with schools and community centers to bring professional teaching artists into classrooms where creativity sparks curiosity, confidence, and joy.

A few months ago, I visited one of our programs at an Indianapolis school. A teaching artist was leading a poetry and percussion workshop. I’ll never forget one boy - quiet, eyes down at first - who hesitated to share his poem. When he finally did, the room went still. His words painted a picture of missing his dad, of finding peace in the rhythm of his own heartbeat. When he finished, his classmates clapped, and his whole face changed - like he had just discovered something powerful inside himself.

That moment - that transformation - is what your gift makes possible.

Every dollar you give helps us deliver over 40,000 hours of arts learning to students across Indiana - from dance and drumming to storytelling, visual art, and theater. It supports living wages for our teaching artists, materials for classrooms that have none, and creative spaces where every child can shine.

So, for my birthday, I’m asking you to join me in giving this gift - a gift that goes far beyond a day or a party.

Help us keep the ARTbeat of our mission strong.
Help every child discover the light that art can bring.

Donate today to Arts for Learning - because creativity is the greatest gift of all.

With gratitude,
Anya Aslanova

Anya's Birthday Wish for a Brighter, More Creative Indiana