Break Free (AY Original 1/1)

Hand drawn original artwork, stippling/pointillism on paper. (Red AY Logo placed for watermarking purposes only. Original does not show watermark)

Completion time: 27 hours

Matted and framed (16"x20" frame)

Everyone has had a season where they felt like they were drowning. Physically, professionally, mentally, emotionally, or maybe all the above. The tangled chains of our past, mistakes, traumas, addictions, and/or fears drag us deeper to the point where the pressure of it all overwhelms us and we can’t breathe. No matter how hard we try to break free, we can’t. It’s dark. Terrifying. Suffocating.

Healing often feels like this. Progress feels like one step forward, 5 steps back. We’re all too aware of the things we need to heal from, but have no direction as to how to work on it all. No matter what we do, it doesn’t feel like enough. Guilt and helplessness threaten to swallow us whole. Trying to untangle one thing tangles everything else. It takes immense courage every day to continue one’s healing journey. But whether we see it or not, every effort we make, strategy we try, time we stand back up, matters. It may not be linear progress, but it’s still progress. And one day at a time, we’ll get there.

For more about the inspiration for this art piece, visit my blog!