Hi. I have mostly been painting and writing – healing processes in and of themselves – since expressive activities have been discouraged, to use a mild term, since early on. Unpairing the activities from prior experiences can truly come about through engaging with them.  It is natural that creativity and artistic proclivities are discouraged because they are intertwined with speaking up, our deepest inner power and living from a more authentic place. Also, artistic expression increases the chances of our waking up and of unconscious material, old lessons and messages coming to the surface. It is frowned upon because it causes concern for art in any form can resist and question the order of things.

It is a sad story that for some or many starts in primary school. Sometimes it continues throughout our life. In 2011, in the presence of my husband and lawyer a professor expressed the notion that the only victimized people on the planet are black children…. and also, the concern of my writing a book, an unarticulated, vague thought at the time. The dean had added that since antiquity punishment for the sake of punishment can serve educational purposes. I suppose in many socio-cultural contexts punishment is believed to build character….

Every creative attempt has in some sense been chained

Every creative endeavor has brought pushback

Engaging in painting and writing is healing and restorative

It is taking back the right to expression without worrying about the outcome

It is disobedience and resistance, a discipline and reflective practice