Storytelling Through Art + Culture

Project Type

Storytelling | Culture | Therapy | Personal

Role

Artist | Storyteller

Location

Noongar Boodja - Western Australia

Aboriginal Artists

Tydhon & Kaeto, Iman | Kalkatungu - Queensland

Goal

To heal through art after being diagnosed with Oligometastatic Disease in July 2021. In Feb 2022 I was given the news that I was cured! ♡♡♡

Aim

To share my story from where I came from to where I am now, for my children.

Key Design Features

• Use my children's language to teach them and to make sure they know they are my inspiration

• Combine my life and every aspect of who I am

• A spectrum of colours

• The snake, a common thread to many aspects of my life

• Have my children input design ideas and help guide me

• Be real and raw

• Messy, do not strive for perfection

• Choose a huge piece

The Journey

It took 100+ hours, to not be finished, with my first original painting 'I'm Not Done'. The elements I have used are to help tell my story so far, hidden in my children's language.

This is a large piece 1210mm high x 910mm wide. No wonder it took me 100+ hours. I've not counted but I am sure I have over 1 million stars and dots in this piece!

The beginning process for me is to create on small A4 an idea of what I want. I've always loved drawing small intricate details.

I paint on the floor as I feel more at one with the creative process.

I started my painting with the base and my roots (left image), the colour red can represent fear and also grounding. This section represented my land, my roots, the farm I come from with its hills. It shows my human footprints on the beginning of my journey and the animal tracks, the wildflowers on our farm. The element earth with a hundred doors showing how each choice we make will open a different door. Feathers (right image) represent flight and the feeling of wanting to run away but unable to, engulfed by the fire and fear. The colour yellow represents courage and the scatters of red fear. The green circle is my healthy breast surrounded again by the symbol for bird and wanting to fly away along with a hundred crosses engulfing me in God's love. The circles are healthy cells surrounding my chest and breast, with the colour green representing the heart and loving self.

Elements

The elements, the snake or the serpent and colours are inspired by multiple cultures and experiences.

• Aboriginal dreamtime Rainbow Serpent my oldest boy has a strong connection and belief in dreamtime.

• The yogic chakras and elements as at the time of being diagnosed I had just completed my 200hr Yoga Teacher training.

• The serpent from the Bible who I filled full of so much love that he no longer brings fear.

• My youngest son loves snakes, they have always been his favourite animal/reptile.

• The stars and moon because I always tell my boys when they were not with me to just look at the moon because no matter how far away, we are from each other, we will always be connected.

'I'm Not Done' was hung on my wall just before my I shaved my hair as my hair was thinning and I lived in beanies. I had one dose of chemo doxorubicin and that was strong enough for it to all go. The negative was it was brutal and effects your heart and mind. It broke every cell in my body physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually and socially. The positives, my cells reset so my skin looked amazing and I got to build back better and stronger. ♡♡♡

Closure

Everyone who saw this piece, thought it was finished. I kept baulking at completing it. I realised that this is where it would stay until the day comes that my journey ends earthside because right now, I'M NOT DONE!