Finding Yourself After Change
Using Art to Process Growth, Grief, and Transformation
In the Art Studio (May 2026)
While some of us embrace change and some of us dread it, the truth is change is inevitable, uncontrollable, and can be both amazing and devastating. When these life-altering changes happen, whether planned or unexpected, who we are changes too. As we grow intellectually and emotionally, make connections with people who feel like family, let go of relationships that no longer feel meaningful or good, experience the greatest loves and the greatest losses - all of these shifts cause innate changes in who we are at our core. They affect our beliefs, our purpose, how we choose to spend the rest of our time here, and who we choose to spend it with.
Many of us struggle on how to accept, how to grow into changes, and in some cases, how to move forward in life. Since Jeff’s passing, I’ve come to realize that I am no longer the same person that I was when he was part of this world. For the last year and half, I kept trying to find the woman that I used to be, but she’s gone. She’s been replaced by someone who has experienced a very traumatic, tragic death of the most important person in her life. And I know this may sound crazy to those who haven’t experienced trauma or deep loss, but it actually feels like a relief that I’m not searching for my old self anymore; it feels, in some ways, liberating.
Creating art has been the place I retreat to when I need space away from it all. And while I am trying really hard to join the living again, I am still very much in the state of mind where being lost in a painting is where I want to be most often. As much as I try, I feel disconnected from so many “norms” of society that used to feel normal. Pretending to be “fine” becomes exhausting. Giving myself time to create allows me to breathe and reset so I can keep going, keep hoping that one day I might have that feeling of true happiness again in this lifetime.
I guess the point of this month’s blog post is this - If you are someone who has recently had a life-altering change, good or bad, and you’re feeling anxious about it, creating can be a very healing place to start. Give yourself some alone time, some space away from the world, to figure out what you need to feel more whole and more like yourself. Write, sketch, create music, do anything to express what’s going on in your head and in your heart as much as you can; even if it’s just for you and no one ever sees it. I can’t speak for everyone, but it has helped me heal enough that I can, for the most part, get through each day with grace and every once in a while, a little bit of laughter.
With much love and gratitude,
Daniela
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