Finding Solace in Beauty: Navigating Life's Challenges Through Art

How do you cope when life gets tough? What is your usual way of dealing with challenges? What is your typical first response?

I've come to realise that I find immense solace in beauty. Even in my darkest moments, I turn to painting, sketching, and creating collages. Beauty offers me comfort not only in my art but also in the simple pleasures—a view over water and an open sky, a beautifully written poem, a well-crafted book, music, dance, movement, and being immersed in nature. I find solace in having space.

Another essential aspect of coping is the ability to be honest about what’s causing our struggles. It’s important to name what’s difficult, to express our feelings fully, and then, when the time is right, return to beauty. Beauty is always there, patiently waiting to be found and seen.

Over the past few weeks, I've been working intensely on my upcoming exhibition, and I'm beginning to feel a growing excitement about sharing this new series with you next month. Each artwork in this collection speaks, in some way, about the vulnerability and uncertainty of life, the storms we weather, and the hope that we can still trust and feel cared for.

I find great purpose in sharing these “islands of beauty” with my clients. Creating something that helps us overcome difficulties or offers a space to retreat into, something that provides warmth, a smile, or the feeling of being embraced and held, is profoundly fulfilling.