Thanks to my paintbrush, I was able to climb the seemingly insurmountable mountains.
After a Traumatic Brain Injury, I was heartbroken that I couldn't paint or read anymore. Someone finally convinced me to paint — trash I planned on throwing away. Now I treasure what began my healing.
Creativity Still Exists
Painting — my ultimate refuge in tough times — had slipped out of my reach. I was devastated that I could not paint what I could see so clearly in my head. There wasn’t a single drop of paint on my paper, even after holding my paintbrush for hours.
Dream of Snow
I didn’t try to paint again for months because I was heartbroken that I couldn’t anymore. Instead, I focused on the things I could do: pray, take baths, meditate through the pain, take short walks, imagine recovery, laugh, cry, and wait.
People surrounded me with literally hundreds of hugs, rides, meals, phone calls, prayers, and help doing what I couldn’t do for myself. I was unable to read, focus, work, remember, problem solve, drive, cook, play, watch TV / movies, listen to music / audio, text, nor communicate to others the amount of extreme pain I was in—words became stuck in my head.
Slow Down, Take it Easy, & Take Breaks
Someone finally convinced me to paint — trash I planned on throwing away. I ripped my paper into 4 small pieces because I didn’t want to waste valuable watercolor paper on garbage.
I Don't Know What's Coming But It'll Be Beautiful
Fortunately, I didn’t throw these paintings away. What I had considered “trash” became treasured nuggets of small progress.
Something magical happened as I allowed myself to be creative in ways I had never dreamed of. At first, I could only drop paint onto the paper. It took me multiple days to paint what used to take me 15 minutes to accomplish. I needed patience, persistence, and flexibility to allow my creativity to exist.
Miracle Mountains
This watercolor took me many days to do what used to take me less than an hour. Finishing this painting was a complete miracle that I could paint what I had envisioned in my mind. Miracles are real & small progress is a big deal.
The Sun Will Always Come Out From Behind Clouds
I couldn’t hike the mountains but I could imagine being in the mountains. I painted in the dark and couldn’t see the colors I was mixing because of severe light sensitivity.
Still Happy And Choosing to Live Life
It is my hope to change the way people view mental health and brain injuries/diseases by sharing my story of hope and healing through watercolors. Increased awareness leads to understanding, connection, and kindness.
Beautiful linen paper with archival ink.
Choose Size: 5x7, 8x10, 8x12, 11x14, or 12x18 inches
Available Collections
My Paintings tell a story of hope, heart, and healing.
See Differently Collection
Flooded With Joy Collection (Coming Soon)
Send Hope
My paintings tell a story of hope, heart, and healing. Every purchase from Artsy Paint is a way to send hope to someone else. A portion of proceeds will be donated towards brain health initiatives. Also, your purchase can make a difference in my personal life as I’m living with a Traumatic Brain Injury myself.
