Nicole's Story Behind The Painting:
I've been thinking a lot about questions that relate to the idea of grace. How is it that I can feel angry and sad about the abuse I experienced yet I do not really want my life to have been different? Every single f'd up thing that's happened in my life has influenced who I am in a number of ways. I didn't just get pain, exhaustion, and PTSD; I also gained depth, wisdom, strength, gratitude, and connection along the way. And it's not the abuse and trauma by itself, but rather a grace that allows me to move through the darkness and come up for air bearing something more than merely scars.
Trauma taught me to fear, but grace taught me that I am fully capable of doing what scares me. Trauma taught me to blame myself, but grace taught me to believe in myself and the possibilities of simply being alive. Trauma taught me to avoid the truth and grace taught me that there is no truth too heavy for me to bear once I'm ready to know it.
- Subject Matter: spiritual, grace, peace, hope, faith, acceptance, soothing
- Created: 2022
- Collections: Abstract, Into the Light, Tiny Treasures