The unmaking of pain

We attempt to rid ourselves of pain, to shake it off. No one wants to suffer, yet fleeing from pain only prolongs our suffering. If instead of avoiding it, we approach it with curiosity—touching it, inhabiting it, daring to move through it—we emerge from that pain more whole, more complete. If, rather than rejecting it, we embrace it and accept the vulnerability of our hearts, pain awakens us to the present, offering us the opportunity to become more aware. It grants us access to that space where the best within us can surface.

When we learn to hold pain, we can redirect its energy and channel it into our artistic practice. These watercolors arise from that encounter with pain.

“The lotus takes root in the mud” Inspired by Pema Chödrön: Embracing the Unembraceable