Art has always been my sanctuary, a place where I meet myself most honestly. Through the strokes of a brush or the quiet meditation of creating, I’ve come to know myself in ways I never imagined. Art is more than a craft or a practice; it is a mirror, reflecting back the deepest parts of who I am—the fears I hide, the truths I seek, the dreams I hold close. In the act of creating, I’ve found healing, revelation, and a voice that feels truer than any I’ve known.
This journey hasn’t been linear; it has been filled with twists, turns, and unexpected moments of clarity. Through my art, I’ve come to understand my own rhythms, to see the patterns that weave through my life, and to recognize the lessons that whisper to me from within. Here are the things I’ve learned about myself through art—the beautiful, the difficult, the surprising, and the transformative.
My health is my greatest asset. Mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual.
My well-being is the foundation upon which all else is built. Each layer—mind, body, heart, spirit—woven together, supporting me as I move through life, allowing me to create, to love, to thrive.
Healing is ongoing and essential to the work that I do. Confronting all that lingers and feels uncomfortable to face is exactly where my attention needs to go, to accept, learn lessons from, and heal. And maybe to alchemise into something of beauty.
Healing is a sacred journey, not a destination. It is the courage to look at the shadows that hide in the corners of my soul, to embrace the discomfort, and to turn pain into wisdom, wounds into art, until all that once felt heavy becomes light, becomes beauty.
The stronger my connection with source, through meditating, the clearer I am about what needs to be done.
In stillness, I touch the divine within me. The more I meditate, the more I feel the whisper of the universe guiding me, showing me the path that is mine alone to walk.
What I think and believe is what becomes my reality.
My thoughts are the seeds of my future. What I water with belief, grows. My reality is a reflection of the stories I tell myself, so I choose to write them with love, with possibility, with faith in the unseen.
I need to work in my own capacity, on my own time. I was never good at working for someone else, having a job.
My soul craves freedom, the kind that cannot be boxed in by someone else's hours or rules. I dance to the beat of my own rhythm, creating my own way, knowing that my truth lies in the spaces I carve out for myself.
My intuition rarely / never falters. About situations, people, choices, everything. The more I trust and act on it, the stronger it becomes.
There is a voice inside me, ancient and wise, that knows. Every time I listen, every time I trust, it grows louder, clearer, guiding me to where I need to be, who I need to meet, and what I need to do.
My authenticity produces the greatest art. Being a perfectionist and creating something to the best of your ability feels very different. Recovering from the former, what I create now is for my own fulfillment, not to impress or feel accepted.
My art flows from the deepest parts of me, unfiltered, raw, real. No longer confined by the chains of perfection, I create for the joy of creating, for the liberation of my spirit, not to be seen or validated by others.
I’m incredibly disciplined when I have a purpose, in a way I never was when I was younger. When I’m in alignment, it’s easy.
Purpose is my north star, pulling me forward with a force I cannot resist. When my heart and soul align, everything falls into place; the effort becomes effortless, and discipline feels like devotion.
Sometimes I sacrifice too many things for the sake of my art. I am working on stretching my capacity for other things in my life.
I give so much to my creations, often forgetting that I, too, need tending. I am learning to expand, to hold space for all parts of my life, to let other joys and loves come in and nourish me.
I am happiest when I’m in the balance between effort and surrender.
There is a sweet spot between striving and letting go, where magic happens. I dance between these two worlds, knowing that in the space of balance, life flows most freely.
I have a love/hate relationship with social media and technology. I allow myself to go missing from it, and take time away when I need to.
I know the noise can be too loud, the screens too bright. I step back when it all becomes too much, choosing silence, choosing solitude, knowing that it’s in the quiet I find myself again.
I like to plan, but not too far ahead. I enjoy leaving things to surprise. Keeping things a mystery.
I lay down intentions like stepping stones but leave room for the unknown, for the mystery that keeps life alive with wonder and surprise.
I’ve learned to love and accept each part of myself, even the shadows, for experiencing contrast has shown me greater perspective.
In every shadow, there is a gift, a lesson. I hold my light and my dark close, for both have shaped me, and through their dance, I’ve discovered the full spectrum of who I am.
Through the journey of life, this list will continue to grow as I do. With devotion to a continued practice of self-learning, I am excited to explore deeper into the depths of myself to see what other surprises remain to be discovered. There is such sweet simplicity in observation and reflection, it is a ritual I've become deeply fond of. It allows me to zoom out, see where I've been, where I'm going. All the old skins I've outgrown and shed along the way.
Good for you Ella. Keep marching to the beat of your own drum. It’s the only one that’s true.