We had the good fortune of connecting with James and Elena Thornton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi James and Elena, can you tell us about a book that has had a meaningful impact on you?
We help the community through our work with Arizona Consortium for the Arts, a 501c3, an all volunteer, community organization : at our consortium, we are dedicated to creating a connection with our community and provide a platform for social bridging through artistic, cultural and educational events. We inspire, engage, involve, give voices and visibility, celebrate, and connect our communities by providing innovative programs, activities and publications. Our programs help nurture and support underserved and economically challenged populations through the transforming power of the arts. One of the three of our publications is the UNSTRUNG magazine. The summer 2020 issue was just published. The magazine is dedicated to poetry.
Enjoy reading the issue: http://www.artizona.org/UNSTRUNGsummer2020/UNSTRUNGsummer2020.pdf
All our information is on our site www.artizona.org
We are also photographers, Photos by Elena and Jim, and have been taking photos at social and charity events for the past several years.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am also an artist and a poet. A few years ago, when I was active in a local art league, I received recognition/awards for my paintings. I also had some of my poetry published in a book called Tapestry. I am excited to be currently working on publishing my own book of poetry, short stories and some of my art. Also, I am proud, humbled and honored to be one of the contributing authors in the 1 Habit For Success – SmartFem Special Edition book. The day it was published it ranked #2 for Business Leadership on Amazon Best Seller list! The publishers congratulated me and all the contributors and told us that we are best selling authors. I have learned to take one step at a time when working on any project no matter big or small. I also have learned to set deadlines with a date on it. This way it is concrete in your mind and vison.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
When things will open up again, I will take my visiting friends to Musical Instrument Museum, Herberger Theater, Arizona Opera, Valley Youth Theater, Desert Botanical Garden, Lake Pleasant, and many other arts and culture centers and parks in the Phoenix metro area. Some of the restaurants that I usually recommend are Muggiano’s, Persian Room, True Food Kitchen, Salty Sow and others.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My husband Jim and my son Jeremy have supported me and encouraged me in all my endeavors.

Website: www.artizona.org / www.photosbyelenaandjim.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/photosbyelenaandjim/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elenathornton/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/artizona_org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elena.thornton
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnd5dHUsho33mfnp3FxZO8Q

Image Credits
Photos by Elena and Jim

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