The Heart Behind the Art: Why I Paint Empowerment

3 Jul

I didn’t start painting with the intention that my art would become a symbolic path to empowerment.

I started because I needed an outlet, something that made me feel like myself again.

I had reached a point where I honestly hated who I was. I felt lost, disconnected, and unsure how to move forward. It was a low point in my life, one I don’t speak about lightly. But hitting rock bottom forced me to stop running and start looking inward.

How My Journey Began (Intuition Has Been At The Heart Of Everything I Paint)

I started by diving into as many self-development books as I could get my hands on. Painting gave me the ability to understand what I was learning. It became a way to be honest with myself without needing to explain anything to anyone. Every time I picked up a brush, I was trying to find a way back to who I was, underneath the self-doubt, the pressure, and the constant need for outside validation.

What’s interesting is that I’ve always painted animals, especially big cats and elephants, but I never really knew why. I just felt drawn to them. It wasn’t until that low point that I started learning about the symbolism behind the animals I was instinctively painting. And I realised I was gravitating toward animals that carry lessons of inner strength, confidence, presence, and freedom.

Those were exactly the things I needed to remember about myself.

Now, I understand that my art has always been trying to speak to me, before I even had the words. It was guiding me back to myself.

What empowerment means for me (it’s not about power at all)

It’s not about being fearless or having it all figured out. It’s about learning how to trust yourself again. To stop waiting for permission or validation and start showing up as the person you’ve always been beneath the noise.

In my work, I explore the duality of strength and softness. The shadow and the light. I believe the most powerful thing we can do is reconnect with all parts of ourselves, even the ones we’ve spent years avoiding. When we embrace both the bold and the broken, we create space for true healing and freedom.

Freedom means everything to me. The freedom to be yourself. To stop performing. To stop dimming your light. That kind of freedom only comes when you begin to feel worthy, just as you are.

I use animals, women, nature, and symbolism in my art to reinforce the messages I needed to hear, and that many of you still need to hear every day:

If you can learn to love yourself, you teach others how to love you too.
You don’t need validation to be loved.
You are worthy.
You are enough.

A Little Note To You

My goal is for each painting to act as a reminder, a quiet but powerful nudge to come back home to yourself. Whether it’s the fierce energy of a lioness or the steady wisdom of an elephant, every piece is a reflection of that deeper truth we often forget: