Meet Artist, Teacher and Poet Akiane, the Child Prodigy with an Amazing Heart

In this world there are some people who struggle to find their way from a very young age. Most of us fall into that category. Every once in a while, however, someone comes along who has blessed by God with a gift, a soul that seems to see and know things beyond their years. This is the story of Akiane Kramarik, a young woman with an amazing gift. "I teach and they run away," says young Akiane. "I listen and they come. My strength is my silence." For a child of nine to understand the perfection to be found in silence is almost unheard of, but young Akiane has never been ordinary. Born July 9, 1994 in Mount Morris, Illinois to her Lithuanian mother and American father, at the age of three Akiane had a spiritual awakening that not only opened her eyes to the Lord but brought her family to God as well. Her mother was an Atheist, her father a former Catholic. Neither had exposed Akiane to the Bible, but at a young age she took her parents by surprise when she began to speak about the Lord. "It all began to happen when she started to share her dreams and visions," says her mother, Forelli Kramarik. "It wasn't just art that was happening. Simultaneous with art was a spiritual awakening." This was the year she began to draw, teaching herself the various intricacies of the artistic style she's affectionately dubbed "Akianism." Her artistic gifts would later spread into painting at the tender age of six. Now, as a teenager, Akiane speaks four languages fluently (Lithuanian, Russian, English and Sign Language) and rises at four in the morning to work on the paintings inspired by her visions, dreams, personal observations, nature and God and the poetry she says often comes to her fully conceived. Many children her age would use their gifts to their own advantage, paving the way to conceit and the eventual evolution of a teenaged diva. Despite, or perhaps because of, her success Akiane has continued to keep her eyes fixed firmly on the Lord. Her paintings are, she says, given to her by God in her dreams. "I can hear His voice," says the young woman firmly. "His voice is quiet and beautiful." Akiane hopes to use the proceeds of her paintings to help the needy children of Africa, Lithuania and many other third world countries. "I really want to help needy people in Africa and other places, especially the Lithuanian people-the 'garbage children' is what they are called. They live in the garbage, and two and three year olds are being killed for the first place in the food line," she says. "Lithuania has the highest suicide rate in the world. They need help with food and medicine, and a free hospital. I really want to build a free hospital for them." Akiane adds, "I have been blessed by God. And if I'm blessed there is one reason and one reason only, and that is to help others." Akiane was recently featured on BlogTalk Radio, and her newest works can be found in the Elijah Seasons 2009 calendar and in galleries all over the world. As her talent and her relationship with God continue to grow the world waits with bated breath to find out what this amazing young woman will have to share next.