Sometimes the Pen Becomes the Paintbrush

Between the Pages:

By Cheri Eplin | Pen & Path

On my way home from a trip, I met Yenni at a Starbucks in Rancho Cordova. She was making handmade cards with colored pencils—small works of art intended for patients in local hospitals.

Yenni is a muralist from Wilton, California. But that day, her creativity was finding its way onto a much smaller canvas. Each card was an opportunity to offer someone encouragement.

As we talked, Yenni shared that she is a Jehovah’s Witness. She also spoke about volunteering and giving back, extending her service beyond her own religious community. She wanted her cards to help people feel better.

I went into this series curious about what people put on a page. Often, that means journals filled with thoughts, memories, or questions. Yenni reminded me to leave room for other forms of expression.

A page can hold color. It can hold a drawing. It can become something we give away.

That connection feels at home in Pen & Path. Writing helps me reflect and make sense of my experiences. Meeting Yenni made me think about how art can offer another avenue for expression—and how something we create might bring comfort to someone else.

I don’t know who received the cards she was making that day or what those people were facing. But I appreciated the care behind her work: time spent creating something for a person she might never meet.

Sometimes an ordinary stop for coffee (or iced chai) becomes a chance to notice someone doing something thoughtful. I’m grateful I stopped long enough to learn about Yenni and the kindness she was putting on the page.

Curious. Grateful. Growing.