S3 E17 How Do You Build Bridges? A Conversation with Ebtehal Badawi

How do you build bridges? That’s the question my guest this week asks each person who participates in her Building Bridges project.

From the time she was in 5th grade, Ebethal Badawi, born in Saudi Arabia, knew that she wanted to be an artist. But she was told that art could only be a hobby, not a real career path, so she decided to study science, a much more acceptable choice according to her parents.

She got a bachelor’s degree in biology from King Abdul-Aziz University.

Shortly after graduating, she got married and came to the US via a joint scholarship from the Saudi Arabian government.

A desire to pursue a career in art still burned in her, but since she had no training in that field, she went on to earn a master’s degree in Industrial Hygiene from West Virginia University. But her heart was not in it.

She always felt that something was missing. After developing an interest in art therapy, she took the required classes in Art and Psychology to pursue a specialty in art therapy and that endeavor is still ongoing.

Join us as we explore Ebtehal’s amazing story of how her vision and passion for using art as a medium to encourage diversity, inclusion, and connection came together to create something far beyond anything she could imagine.

Through her Pittsburg Builds Bridges Initiative, her vision is to create art that uplifts peoples’ souls and inspires other artists to share the beauty and the magic of their art.

Ebtehal is also a 2022 Pittsburgh TEDx speaker.

To learn more about Ebethal’s vision reach out to her at:

Email: ebtehal@owewcorp.com

Tedx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4I3FNFmMzg