How Artist Lynn Mara Uses Her Gift For Grieving Families of Fallen Soldiers
Artist Lynn Mara talks about her path to an artist’s career, her new work to support the nonprofit, Tunnels to Towers, and how we can all discover the gifts we have to offer the world.
Lynn Mara grew up in Long Island’s rural farmland. Fields of potatoes served as her neighbors and her community espoused a “farmy mentality”, Lynn says. “There’s something authentic and real and genuine about those people.”
She’s light years away from that rural, modest upbringing today, but Lynn carries the wholesomeness and faith she was raised in, into her thriving and successful lifestyle today.
Lynn is on the other side of the days packed with financial stress and counting pennies to determine if she had enough money for groceries. It was in those times, Lynn says, that some of her greatest comfort and grace came from offering whatever form of support she could to others in their own trenches in life.
She’s never forgotten what that struggle and stress feel like. Today, she continues her practice of supporting others, whether it’s the single mom she bought a car for, or the young man she helped put through college, Lynn sends 100% of the proceeds from her artwork sales to people and causes that need it.
Her artwork is described as “American culture with modern flair.”
Using her own blend of talent and passion, Lynn creates original pieces every day as part of her routine. After her daily ritual of a morning run, saying the rosary, and going to mass, Lynn threw in an additional 5 mile daily walk when COVID shut everything down. On the walks she tapped into a new awareness of simple things that hold unnoticed miracles and examples of God’s grace.
"It really set my heart on fire." New York artist Lynn Mara describes the art she created to honor the 13 fallen US servicemen in Afghanistan, with proceeds benefiting @Tunnel2Towers https://t.co/zkMAyxwFBN @BillHemmer @DanaPerino pic.twitter.com/y00C5kkWF5
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The profoundness, peace, and clarity Lynn found on those walks gave her the confidence to set all fear of failure aside, and go all-in on her painting. Her art took flight and sales soared.
When August came and the Afghanistan tragedy happened, Lynn knew instantly when that message came into her heart. “It was sort of like put on your helmet, we’ve got work to do here.”
Lynn Mara created portraits of those 13 service members, donating all the proceeds from sales to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.
She’s also been able to gift prints of these pieces to several of the families of those fallen service members, making an even deeper connection for her, to the purpose behind her passion.
“Everyone’s been given a gift and purposefulness,” Lynn says. “I think we’re actually in a crisis of purposelessness. People don’t know what their purpose is. So when you get that, that thing, that feeling that voice in your heart don’t doubt it.
In this episode, Lynn shares her own path to discover her purpose, and offers insight for others seeking to do the same.
Here are some of the topics discussed in this interview with Lynn Mara:
Saying “Yes” to helping others
Should you still help others when you are struggling?
The Tunnels to Towers organization
How to channel your passion into purpose and then profit
How Lynn used her gift to extend comfort to grieving families of the service members killed during the botched Afghanistan evacuation
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