Amidst the hustle and bustle of our tightnit campus community, there’s a certain junior elementary education major who’s leaving her mark not just academically but artistically and compassionately as well. Meet Moira Lindner, a spirited individual whose talents span from painting and drawing to acting and writing.
For Lindner, art isn’t just a hobby; it’s a medium through which she can express herself freely and, at times, with theatrical flair.
“I did a lot of acting in middle school and in high school. I love theatre and everything associated with acting and Broadway. I was one of the more confident actors in my high school [and] often got cast as the villains because I was one of the only ones who were confident enough to just go all out, which is what you need for a villain,” Lindner said. “I had a lot of fun playing the White Witch from ‘Narnia.’ It was so much fun. Everyone else was being all timid and British and I was just like, ‘All right, evil magic.'”
From her contributions to the World Banquet mural to her fun and inviting chalkboard art seen throughout The Bell & Beacon (BB’s), Lindner embodies a blend of creativity and community spirit. All of which stem from a deep-rooted love and affirmation of artistic expression, something that has, and continues to, shape her personality.
“I’ve always been very artistically focused. That was honestly the way that I stayed paying attention in high school because I was very bad at taking notes until college. I would just listen to the teacher talk but I would just be [sitting there] drawing and stuff like that. And that was just the way that I focused and you know, I did well in high school, so it worked out,” Lindner said.
For Lindner, life isn’t just about pursuing one’s passions; it’s about infusing everyday moments (both good and bad) with kindness and creativity. In 2020, despite having to undergo cancer treatment in a hospital, away from the familiarity and comfort of home, Lindner strived to make the best of the situation and spread love and support to others the way she knows best: art.
“One of the ways that [my mom and I] would occupy ourselves [in the hospital] is every morning we would put up a new fun fact on the door. And because the doors were glass, we were like, ‘Let’s use chalkboard markers,’” Lindner said. “We had a whole little [routine], [my mom] would put up the facts and even learned how to write backward so that [the text] would be readable, outward facing. And then I would do whatever little design we wanted to put around it. So we did one that was like, ‘In London, it used to be illegal to carry a fish suspiciously.’ And so my mom wrote up the fact and then I drew a fish wearing sunglasses, you know, being all shady and stuff like that.”
Within no time, the cold, drab halls of the hospital were transformed into canvases of cheerfulness and imagination; injecting everyone with a sense of childlike wonder and awe.
“During the latter half of my treatment, we started doing designs for more people. Once kids started going around, walking around the ward and stuff like that, since COVID was getting a little bit better, they started seeing the stuff on our door and being so excited about it. My mom and I were like, ‘Why don’t we just go around [and decorate their doors] for them?’ So we looked around and did a couple of doors [one night], and then a couple of doors the next night and did the nurse’s station door [another] night,” Lindner said. “It was a really good time, it was so fun. Then the next morning when I’d get to be walking around, I would get to see the kids being all excited about having a little unicorn or having Transformers on their door, things like that.”
As Lindner continues her journey to becoming an elementary educator, one thing remains the same: her love and passion for self-expression. Whether it’s bringing the chalkboards at BB’s alive with her distinct artistic vision, her involvement in the Orthodox Christian Fellowship or participating in Candlelight on Sundays at the Chapel of the Resurrection, Lindner’s vibrant spirit and compassion shine through.
If you would like to nominate someone for an Artist Spotlight feature in The Torch, please email torch@valpo.edu.
