editing personal statement

Author: vsoch

about/personal-statement-nsochat.md

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+# Natacha Villamia Sochat
+
+The conceptual nature of this proposal embodies how an open society benefits from all of its members participating in its well-being. 
+"The whole can be greater than any one of its parts" an old but true cliché. This is a core tenet of Open Source values.
+
+As a child of immigrants I am very aware of being UpRooted. As an adult, rather than viewing cultural uprooting as a loss, 
+I see the world a fuller, richer condition in which the seemingly chaotic disruption of clashing cultures actually results in the creation of stronger hybrid roots.
+
+I will create an paintings that symbolize connectedness and strength. These paintings and objects will not be a wall of exclusion. They will embody the spirit of an open source society.
+
+As an artist and biologist I use trees as a metaphor for connectedness on the microscopic and macroscopic scale.
+We are inviting the public to participate in an art process [via the web](https://vsoch.github.io/opensource-art/about/), as well as allowing me as an artist to express the strength of inclusiveness with paintings. These paintings will represent how we are all connected, and how we need a society that does not build walls, but rather facilitates strength by inclusion. My collaborator Vanessa Sochat is a software engineer that embodies open source values. She will be creating the site where the public may participate in this inclusive event.
+The work of the public contributors will be visible by opening the URL provided. People may view it on their phones, their tablets, or their computers. 
+
+I am using crocheting as a connector to the paintings because for me as an artist it involves the hand and my labor. The hand is the mind, and labor is a valuable social force that always needs to be valued. In addition, the project uses Github as the medium in its process. GitHub as well as RedHat embody open source values.
+ 

about/personal-statement-vsochat.md

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+# Vanessa "VanessaSaurus" Sochat
+
+I am a Research Software Engineer for Stanford Research Computing, with expertise
+in systems design, container technologies, and reproducible practices. 
+Programming is my passion and obsession, and open source software development 
+is the motivation of avocados and love that drive my tiny dinosaur soul. I 
+seek out work that is fun, meaningful, and challenging, and hope to share
+this excitement with the larger community.

about/project-statement.md

@@ -52,3 +52,10 @@ Art is created and hung on walls to visually enjoy. There is an expectation of m
 that emerges from writing code. It is the ultimate quiet expression of an individual's soul, and approached with the same kind of intense
 focus as the artist. And if they do a good job? Ironically you don't notice anything at all, but you appreciate the product of the labor.
 Thus, this project is beautiful because it captures more than one kind of beauty. This is the ultimate combination of open source practices, fun, and community, and we hope that you enjoy the gallery and possibly contribute to it.
+
+# Personal Statements
+
+For personal statements from the programmer and artist, please see below.
+
+ - [Natacha Sochat](personal-statement-nsochat.md)
+ - [Vanessa Sochat](personal-statement-vsochat.md)