SELF-CRITIQUE

After working on Drawn Back to Light for more than twenty-five years, I changed my attitude about my bumpy path—with gratitude I realized my life challenges were veiled blessings that encouraged me to paint, write, heal, and, most importantly, become all I was meant to be. Painting and writing helped me remember, so I could shine light on past trauma and heal. Every brush stroke, every word became a stepping stone in my pathway to growth. I needed to recall the past in order to move beyond it.

Drawn Back to Light is not about showing my skill as a painter and writer—it is my journey of healing, my search for the innocence of pure love and the freedom I enjoyed as a child. Using photos to connect with the past, I painted what my artist eyes saw, often

dipping a tentative brush into the well of my suppressed memories. Taking artistic liberties, I frequently reshaped composition, color, and details to express something deeper.

Some paintings in Drawn Back to Light flowed quickly from my brush with a sense of freedom and confidence, while others were tight and overworked, revealing my lack of confidence and misguided drive for perfectionism. A true visual artist will be able to discern the differences. The insecure part of me wanted to hide the overworked paintings, but all of my work—even the prosaic—was vital to the completion of Drawn Back to Light. It was all a necessary part of my journey to release my fear of disapproval in order to grow to my greatest potential.