PAINTING HEALS – RISE BEYOND THE MARGINS

“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” — Pablo Picasso

Welcome to my 2025 – 2026 Educational Crowdfunding Campaign!

Rise Beyond Margins: Empowering Inclusive Scholarship

Every painting, every piece of writing, every work of art has a story.
Sometimes those stories are hidden… invisible. And sometimes, we find the courage to let them be seen.

Painting Heals began as my way of surviving – transforming pain, grief, exhaustion, and invisibility into something honest, beautiful, and whole. What started as personal healing has grown into something larger: a bridge between art, advocacy, and scholarship. It has become a way to fight for equity, inclusion, and for voices too often left unheard.

Last fall, I presented three papers at the American Political Science Association (APSA) conferences in Vancouver, CA and Boston. With the support of family and friends, I was able to successfully attend these important academic ventures. The presentations explored:

  • Community-driven development and localization in fragile states
  • Gender-based violence and the invisibility of women in policy discourse
  • Mental health and inclusive pedagogy in political science education

Thank you so much for your generosity and support. That meant so much to me. I am excited to be able to continue using the valuable skills, resources, and experience I gained to pay it forward as I continue my academic career.

These opportunities are critical steps in my journey as a scholar-educator to elevate underrepresented voices, including my own. As an independent scholar on the market, I do not have immediate access to the necessary funding to move this critical research forward.

 I am now moving on to the next phase of the campaign!

More details about the next phase will be shared soon. For now, I am continuing my academic work as an independent scholar. One of the papers I presented at APSA is now moving toward publication, with the full manuscript coming into fruition, alongside several other pieces in progress. I also recently received an acceptance to present some of my newer research at the upcoming Social Capital 2026 Conference in Dubai (March 2026).

With the conference taking place in Dubai, I am exploring the possibility of returning to Karachi, Pakistan, for a short period of fieldwork to support my ongoing book and research projects. It would be 7 years since I returned from Pakistan from my final doctoral fieldwork trip (March 2019) before I completed my degree (August 2021). So, a truly important and meaningful return.

I am actively seeking sponsors, grants, and institutional partners to make these two trips possible.

In the meantime, your support helps sustain this journey – through the job market, the completion of publications, and the preparation for these future conferences/travels – during a time when I am working entirely without institutional funding or salary.

Thank you for standing with me as I continue this important work.

These papers are more than academic milestones; they are an extension of the journey that led to the creation of Painting Heals.

While I had hoped to fundraise for flood relief in Pakistan, earthquake recovery in Afghanistan, and humanitarian crises in Sudan and Gaza – as done in the past – this season I am offering my art in gratitude to those who help support my academic journey. Every contribution through my educational crowdfunding campaign supports travel, lodging, and research costs, and supports the message of resilience, inclusion, and empowerment for underrepresented voices in academia.

In return, I’ll share a piece of my work – a painting, a story, a tangible part of this journey – with those who wish to carry a part of it with them.

I have revived Painting Heals in a new way: as an offering of community, solidarity, and mutual aid alongside humanitarian crises.

Please find all the paintings and instructions for this crowdfunding fundraiser linked HERE. More paintings and updates will be added soon!

The beauty is in the imperfection. It was truly a grand effort with heart and soul. Every piece of art you see here holds a part of my story, a story of courage and resilience, and now, it can be part of yours too.

Support the campaign here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/rising-beyond-the-margins-empowering-inclusivity

You can also find a comprehensive research funding proposal for the APSA conferences, in a PDF document, about Rise Beyond the Margins HERE. You will continue to see updates on the campaign page with relevant articles from the project.

Here are a few articles I wrote last year (2025) all connected to the Rise Beyond the Margins campaign:

I am excited to bring more of the healing power of my art and writing in the new year 2026!

Thank you for seeing me, seeing this work, and for believing in the power of art to heal, transform, and amplify underrepresented voices in academia.

If you believe in this initiative, a share within your social networks, a “like,” or a word of encouragement could truly go a long way.

To learn more about how Painting Heals began with Painting Heals Pakistan, visit this link.

Sign up for my newsletter, The Qualitative Inquisition, for insights on arts-based methods and qualitative research. You can also support my art and writing on my Buy Me a Coffee page. I make all my writing freely accessible, so any support could help as I continue this journey!

Thank you for your generosity!
In solidarity, power, and peace,
Dr. Elsa T. Khwaja, Ph.D.

Learn more about me HERE.

You can also visit my Portfolio Life HERE.

Support Campaign Here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/rising-beyond-the-margins-empowering-inclusivity

You can find the original 2025 campaign video on the donation link, or watch it HERE

Please use the contact form in THIS LINK HERE should you have any questions, concerns, or comments regarding Painting Heals.

Thank you!