Let Go
Letting go – I’ve found it to be life giving, mood lifting, and what creates room for all the things I want to matter.
I’ve learned to let go of feeling offended, past hurts, thoughts that keep me stuck, opportunities that don’t fit with my present, and activities that I don’t prioritize as important.
It is about release and most of all forgiveness. And wrapping those is love in every direction. If there’s anything you can do if something is weighing you down, let go. Its hard to do because it often means letting go of pride and appearance but its so worth it. I promise. And in its place you’ll find joy and love. Much more preferable.
But! This is an ongoing process. Something that takes thought, patience, and hard decisions. So I was inspired to create a piece of art that was a beautiful reminder of this process.
The Process
All of my art begins first with sketches, usually thumbnail sketches first. Then I turn to larger sketches to work out what I really want. At times, I will refine these and change them, but this time around I was pretty happy with what I had.
After working through the sketches, I bring them into illustrator and create the art digitally. I usually have to print the artwork out 2 or 3 times (sometimes more) before I get it the way I want.
This time around I decided to use a stencil cut out and taped to my screen to do the screen print. (I’ve been looking at the different ways artists screen print their work, and wanted to try this. After taping up the screen, I mixed the colors to get the gold I wanted and began to print.
The Story
I share this story at times but it’s a deeply personal one. About cancer, giving up photography, my business – letting it go. In January 2016 I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer which came at a time that I was making big plans for my business. How to grow it in the next year and diversify. You know how January is – goals and dreaming and motivation come with the new year.
That January a diagnosis and a second surgery came with the new year. I put a pause on my business and photography became more difficult as it became more difficult to move around. And as I was recovering from 2 surgeries, radiation, and slowly making my way out of hypothyroidism I was thinking through my head what I needed to do to get started once I was back. I was so ready. But in that moment I heard a call to give it all up. To let it go.
It wasn’t easy but I decided to listen and thought it wouldn’t be bad to let it all go for a summer and spend that summer exclusively hanging out with my family. Then I told myself I would come back. But many things happened as I made the preparations to come back and I was no longer feeling the motivation to get back to a photography business. And as it came about through all the events of that year, my husband began his own business and I instead threw myself into that.
But there came a time I heard a call again to create. So I began. And I found something was missing – creating. It felt more like me to draw and print than photography ever did. Letting go of photography was difficult and as I look at my past images there is nostalgia. But letting made room for something different. Something that is more me.
This is a dramatic example of letting go, but it’s where I began to learn how to let things go. And the more I practice it the more I enjoy it. I find more peace, more room for what I love, and ultimately that means more joy in my life. I’ve learn to let go of past hurts, of my own ego (this has been a big one), and at times the dishes piled up in my sink. I’ve found when you surrender and let go of things that makes room for other things and hopefully you fill that space with goodness, with new things, and mostly with love. Love for what or who you fill it with and love for yourself.
You can purchase one of the limited edition prints right now! Check it out below!
