The Power Of Letting Go

A few years ago I took a poetry class. I had never really written poetry before, but felt it was something I wanted to learn more about. I found that poetry is something I really enjoy as a hobby and love the idea of illustrating poetry I have written with my artwork.

Here's a poem I wrote called "Healing"

I’ve been thinking lately
about alchemy;
the art of
transforming
base metal into gold.

How to alter my chemistry
to find the right remedy?
Isolate
properties,
then reconnect the whole.

A caterpillar must liquefy
before becoming a butterfly.
Surrendering
completely,
so change can occur.

Perhaps just by letting go,
I may find wings will grow.
Emerging
triumphant,
more beautiful than before

- A.S.

And here is the collage illustration that was born out of this poem. This work is titled "The Power of Letting Go"


A giclee print of this collage is available for sale on my etsy shop "The Power Of Letting Go"

xxoo Abby

Where I am

When looking back, where I was living at the time completely shapes the memories I have of different periods in my life.

The 2 story Colonial where I grew up in Lawrenceville, NJ is front and center of my childhood memories.




Me and my brother circa 1974 at our home in Lawrenceville, NJ


My recollections of college are largely defined by a dilapidated off campus house that was sliding down a hill.

And I will always fondly recall the rented carriage house (formerly "servants quarters") with the huge deck where my husband proposed almost exactly 11 years ago.

For the last 8 years I have been living in a 1950's ranch house in Suburban Philadelphia. I have some wonderful memories here, and some difficult ones too. But it is time to move on and create new memories. We have decided to put our house on the market and move into townhome a little further West of the city.



Although we don't know exactly where we will be living yet, I am really excited to start a new chapter in my life!

xxoo Abby

Who I am

Since I became ill in 2003, spirituality has become a much bigger part of my life. It happened slowly, but the more I explored alternative healing modalities, such as meditation, the more I found comfort in realizing that we are all part of something much greater that our "selves."

I try to do something everyday to make sure I stay connected to this idea, usually some type of meditation or Qi Gong. Of course, I don't actually do this everyday (I am human!) but most days I do.

The type of Qi Gong I do is called Kuan Yin Standing. Kuan Yin, in layman's terms, is the Buddhist Goddess of Compassion. The closing movement in the series one is instructed to envision themselves as a white crane in the snow surrounded by light.

The second collage I made while taking The Artist's Way class was inspired by this idea.



It is titled "Recovering What Was Lost"

Who am I?

"We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us." - Joseph Campbell

Who am I? is a very loaded question that most of us have thought about at one point in our lives. Often we define ourselves by the career we have chosen. But what happens when that definition no longer fits?

10 years ago, I never would have imagined considering calling myself an Artist. In fact, I have a Master's degree in something completely unrelated!

So, how did I start creating art? Well, in 2003 I was diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease, and found myself no longer able to work in my profession (I was a Speech Language Pathologist working with stroke and brain injured patients)

To get out of the house, I took a course called The Artist's Way, the book/program by Julia Cameron. For fun I made a bird collage of a cardinal and brought it into the class for "show and tell." I am not sure why I choose a bird, it just popped into my head.



Anyway, things took off from there! That was about 3 years ago. Since then I've had commissions, my work in stores, and even an art show!

So, my health issues currently dictate that I live my life at a slower pace then sometimes I would like, but finding the artist within has been a true gift born out of difficult situation.

xxoo Abby