Risorgimento in Italian means "Rising Again." It seemed to take a long time but I came to a point when the worst of the flames were behind me, though I could still feel the heat. I felt vulnerable and unprotected, and I couldn't help but fear spreading my wings, thinking I might be tempting fate. I could almost imagine the smell of burning feathers: but there was also a definite surge of energy and a renewed interest in reclaiming my life. But life as I had known it was gone - consumed by the flames of illness, treatment and the aftermath of both. Relationships had changed, my career path had changed, my body had definitely changed, my priorities had changed, everything had changed. In a bolt of clarity I realized that surviving cancer had taken but also given, and I felt the tension of being caught between the depression of loss and the joy of knowing my own strength and potential...
1 Comment
Anna
8/3/2015 12:20:50 am
I love this image as a metaphor for transition. Pink ribbons as a symbol of the fight against breast cancer should be replaced with this!
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AuthorI wear a lot of hats in life, encompassing a variety of roles and relationships. I am becoming more comfortable with the whole "cancer survivor" hat, even finding silver linings in unexpected places --- like adding artist to my self identity. "Blogger" hadn't really appealed to me until I began getting requests to talk about what lies behind my art. So I'm going to give it a try. If you have gotten to this page, you have probably noticed from my paintings that I am quite frank about my experiences. Some of the images are stark and difficult to look at. To me, beautiful is not the same as pretty. "Beautiful" encompasses complexity that can include pain, tragedy, and darkness. Therefore there can be a strange beauty present in stark emotional and experiential truth. I am a seeker of beauty within pain, and of the beauty that grows out of pain. If you are too, we'll get along just fine. Archives
December 2017
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