YOLTRA
YOLTRA (DONATED)
40 X 60 inches
Acrylic on Canvas
A NOTE FROM THE ARTIST
“When we least expect it, life sends us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change; at such a moment, there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened or in saying that we are not yet ready. The challenge will not wait. Life does not look back.” Change. It happens. It happens every minute of every day and often without us even knowing it. But then there are those moments when you DO notice and your world is never the same. I am talking about change you never saw coming, never wanted and are now left to deal with the ramifications it has insisted on burdening you with. I am aware enough to know that these life altering changes do and will happen, and will happen to all of us at many points in our lives, but it doesn’t make it any easier to wrap your head around when it does. My recent encounter with change has left me questioning everything and despite having done so much self work over the last few years, I still find myself fighting the urge to take the easy way out by retreating and running away from how I feel. Hibernation. Self deprecation. Constant “shoulda, coulda, woulda’s!” It’s so easy to go this route, but I haven’t and I have promised myself I won’t. Where the real journey and the magic happens is when you make the conscious choice to not be defined by that specific unwanted change and make the effort to stand strong and move on with grace, self love and kindness. As I painted “YOLTRA” 36×48, I tried to find the comfort in my new uncomfortable reality. I tried to stand still and find the courage it takes to start all over again. But most importantly, I realized I couldn’t change this change. It happened without a plan, without my permission and definitely without my wanting. But here I am. Still whole. Still me. And perhaps an even better version of me. When we are given these moments of change, we have a choice. When you are considering that choice, always remember that “the only way that we can live, is if we grow. The only way that we can grow is if we change. The only way that we can change is if we learn. [And] the only way we can learn is if we are exposed.” Be open to this exposure and look forward to the possibilities. I did it. Will you?