Fear? Hell, yeah, that's human. It's also human to get up and fight.

   This piece is called, After the Fear is Gone. Ah, human fear, it can be very damaging. It can cause one to be held back, stunted, close-minded, uncultured, uneducated, and ultimately cause someone to live in a sort of box. That's not a life, at least not a good one.

   Now, when we speak of mental illness, that throws a whole other layer onto things. For those that have a mental illness, or what some call a disorder, the message in this painting could possibly relate to you, also. Having a mental illness is VERY challenging. Many of you know that I know. Enough said.

   Let's talk of some scenarios where an individual wants to summon up the strength to stand up and fight and change their negative situation. Say a woman just got slapped in the face by her boyfriend. Yes, I'm referring to physical abuse here. No, my art does not just contain the joyful things in life, it also contains pain, sadness, and everything in between. Look closely and you'll see it. The woman being abused can stay and put up with this or get the hell out of the relationship. Now, I understand sometimes a person feels trapped, mentally. That feeling of being trapped can be overwhelming. My heart goes out to people like this. May you someday be able to change the way things are.

   All of us at one time or another in our lives will encounter a situation where we'll have to make a choice, "Do I stay and see if things get better, or do I grab my love for myself and my respect for myself, and go bye-bye?"  The choice is yours, of course. I just paint pictures, but I DO hope you can make the right choice, the one that will lead to a positive life filled with a feeling of loving thyself in a healthy way.  X

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