You know you follow the right social media influencer when they put their platform into actual use.
Issa Pressman is a woman with many talents and she doesn’t take it for granted, one of which is her gift for painting captivating artworks.
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When the devastating and threatening news about the Amazon Rainforest Fires spread across social media, news outlets, celebrities, and influencers alike have shared several posts about the fires. While spreading the news is a big help for people to take action, not many who have the means to take action actually do anything about it.
Issa Pressman, however, wants to walk the talk.
“On social media, everyone was posting about it, spreading awareness,” Issa shares in an exclusive with MEGA. “I felt like everyone else was doing that already and have contributed well in spreading awareness, whereas for me, I wanted to do something else, maybe a small step forward in my own little way.”
Issa, who had a long break away from the busy city of Manila, was on her way back when she found out about the fires. She didn’t need to search much to know what was happening because it was all over social media, but there was little information about how a person could help.
“I searched for links and read articles on “How To Help” and saw a couple of organizations and fundraisers for the Amazon,” Issa recalls. “I chose the best one I found, @junglekeepers, but instead of just donating funds, I chose to donate in a more memorable way: through raising funds by putting my art up for auction and have a reminder and remembrance of what I’ve once done for the world.”
“It’s not how big you explode, but how long you stay burning.”
Before, Issa’s paintings were reserved for a close friend, but she took a two-year break from painting due to her lack of passion (we’ve all been there) and now, she’s ready to share her talent to the world.
“I contacted the co-founder of the Jungle Keepers, Paul Rosalie and informed him about my move. It’s been approved, appreciated, now it’s being expected. So hopefully I get to deliver soon.”
It’s never easy to pour your heart out in your art and have it exposed to the world. But her latest painting, the Sasha Obra, is her proudest artwork yet. It is of a psychedelic portrait of a woman, painted on a bright orange canvas.
“The energy I had while making it, the things I was thinking about each stroke, the reasons of why I’m exerting this much effort. That was something I’ve never felt before from my other works,” Issa shares.
The painting is currently up for bidding and all the proceeds will be donated to the Peruvian NGO. Through this auction, Issa will be helping protect over 30,000 acres of primary forest in the most important part of the Amazon. You can help, too. Send your bidding to <[email protected]> or share this article to spread the word.
With that, Issa has some resounding parting words: “I just wanna leave a piece of myself in this world. Not just to shine for fame, but to be recognized because of something I have achieved. I’ve learned, it’s not how big you explode, but how long you stay burning. And for years, that’s the game I’ve been playing, the wave I’ve been riding, the life I’ve been enjoying.”
