Rae Strozzo
they/them
"Art is restoration. The idea is to repair the damages that are inflicted in life - to make something that is fragmented, which is what fear and anxiety do to a person - into something whole."
-- Louise Bourgeois by way of Hannah Gadsby
Over and over, I create things because I know who I am when I do.
At first, I thought learning watercolor and painting flowers was only about learning something new and centering beauty. And yes, that is inherently a part of this work.
But this process has also been about taking hold of what is impacting me most right now. I'm in trauma recovery. So much about that experience is about getting to the next moment, but also finding myself in those moments. I am so much more than someone who experienced childhood sexual and organized abuse. I am more than someone recovering from those injuries.
Healing is not about regaining something. It is about creating something new. I constantly try new things, allowing myself to unlearn old ideas to do that healing. The creative process feels much the same. I learn and grow to create new things.
This is where art and transformation meet.
The things they carried: when is poppy season in West Virginia
mixed media watercolor and ink
