My Messenger

Recently, I received a truly meaningful gift from Adan Esquivias, a student in Fuego Sagrado Botanica’s correspondence program—a pair of handmade hummingbird earrings and a matching necklace that immediately captured my heart. The pieces are vibrant and powerful, created with red, black, white, and gold seed beads, each color carrying its own depth and symbolism. The hummingbird, so small yet so mighty, felt like an intentional messenger.

These beautiful pieces were crafted by an artist named Juan Carlos Guadarrama, who is currently incarcerated. His work is a powerful reminder that creativity, culture, and spirit do not disappear behind prison walls. In fact, for many men inside, art becomes a lifeline—an act of remembrance, resistance, and healing.

There is an incredible amount of talent among men in prison, especially in traditional and ancestral art forms such as beadwork. These are not just decorative pieces; they are expressions of identity, lineage, and survival. Through their hands, stories are told that might otherwise be silenced.Receiving this gift was more than receiving jewelry—it was receiving a story, a prayer, and a reminder of the brilliance that exists in places society too often overlooks. I am deeply grateful to Adan for sharing this with me, and I honor Juan Carlos Guadarrama for his skill, creativity, and resilience.

May we continue to uplift and support artists everywhere—especially those creating beauty and meaning from within confinement. Their wings are still strong. Their voices still sing. And like the hummingbird, their spirit continues to move between worlds. Xochitl