#Heal through art - a new project

Hi again, I hope you're all keeping well.

You may be aware that 'something' occurred, well I'm struggling with several life changing injuries and whilst I battle to hold on, I thought it might be beneficial to share how I'm doing that through my current circumstances.

If you've read my previous blogs, you will know that throughout my life, from early childhood, art has been my safe place, my inner bubble where I can keep safe, express myself and work things out. After my terrible event last September, I've been left with both emotional challenges but also many injuries which I continue to try to adapt my life around. My incapacities are many and varied and unfortunately impact significantly on my ability to create art. Losing this core element of myself, has been so difficult to bear that I have fought harder than I even thought was possible, and it's by no means over yet.

My survival instinct found (somehow) to find the strength to push on despite the physical pain and distress in order to keep art in my life. It felt like without it, my life would have nothing of me remaining and so I've fought and continue to fight.

Some days, despite my greatest efforts, I just cannot manage but on other days I manage 10 minutes and that, for me , is a huge win, You may have noticed that some of my art has been around supporting organisations that offer crucial support and advice to domestic violence. I have found myself in need of their help and I wanted to raise awareness to others about what and how insidious it is.

I wanted to also share the pitfalls and intense emotional pain that these experiences cause to their sufferers, but also to try and share hope. I then realised (took awhile doh), that what I was doing was finding a way to try and hold on and heal myself emotionally and that this could be of use to others. So what has been my beginnings of a long journey to heal emotionally, has evolved into a project...#healthroughart.

This doesn't mean that all my art is going to be about domestic violence, turmoil, pain or darkness though. It means that as I focus on using the act of creating art of any kind, that part which is me through and through, will be nourished, maintained and ultimately survive. That itself will mean that I will also survive.

Ironically, I once explained in a blog, how art was like the air I needed to breathe...as air was literally taken away from me, it's fitting that art helps to metaphorically bring it back.

So my art will be varied, it will be experimental, it will be emotion based and it will sometimes be deep and sometimes light. Each step of this path I will walk in my head and through my art, it will no doubt explore many many areas.

It will some days be harder than others. Some days it will be profound and other days frivolous. The point that I think I'm trying to convey, is that it's not the art that will be the main focus but the fact that I will be holding on to it. Just as a person may hold tightly to a life raft or rope; I am holding onto my creative self.

I remember watching a very brilliant and well known film about a prison and the convicts lives and stories behind their crimes. The film is an award winning blockbuster so many of you may guess what it is!? It holds one particular aspect I want to share right now with you, One scene contained a dialogue between two inmates, both facing long sentences and being held within the hardest and most punitive of environments. One inmate explains how he survived his periods of solitary isolation and confinement when being punished...he described how, no matter what was taken away or controlled by others brutality nor how tortured or futile his situation seemed, he had one place he could go where he was free and which could never be taken away...it was his mind, his thoughts and dreams.

My art lives within my very core, it would be impossible to remove it because it is not a 'thing' to beat or banish. Not something that can be controlled or removed by another. It belongs to me, by me, in me totally. It is my identity and my strength.

So, despite the significant difficult practicalities of creating art now, it will still emerge because, as I now take a breathe, it is released into the world on each exhale. I will not allow this to be taken, for it would mean I no longer existed...and I do. I always will. My art is my legacy but it is also my future, tomorrow, the next day and onwards.

I will be taking a journey with many turns and hurdles to face and the art that emerges will be both unexpected and familiar.

I would like to share this unknown path of discovery and freedom with you all and so will be sharing this series of work with a #healthroughart on both Instagram and Facebook.

I don't know what will emerge, but I'm willing to share whatever and wherever it leads, with you, side by side. As I learn, so will you. As I breathe another breath, so will you have done.

I truly hope the art will be interesting and hold messages for us to work out together. What I do know is that some will not be as 'fine' as another and may not 'work' artistically, but then there will be unexpected wins and evolution to enjoy.

Everyone has their own challenges in life, this is my latest and yes, it's a huge one to face. No doubt each of you will have your own challenges right now and maybe it's worth remembering and exploring these together...who and what do we have to do to push us forward, to hold on?

I really look forward to hearing your feedback on my posts, as project #healthroughart has today commenced on Instagram.

With my final words here, being of huge thanks to the degree of support and kindness that so many of you have shown, from following, sharing, commenting and those who have reached out in private. You have and do, keep me going...thank you!

I hope in some ways I'm able to give back...just as we did from my Dalmatian art page recently, in order to raise money to donate to the charities in Ukraine who are doing great things..

Again, I thank you and hope to hear from and 'see' you soon...

Adele xx