“There’s been plenty of times in my life where I felt like I was cast in the wrong movie and not playing the part I actually wanted to play. My journals and coloring books are my contribution to helping myself and others to recast the movie, fire the director and finally live life on our own terms.”
Thank you for the feature Canvas Rebel! Please read an excerpt below and you can read the full article here.
“We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I’ve done ballet for almost 20 years, and my journey through dance has been an extraordinary education, imparting lessons in agility, memory, and stage presence, among others. However, there’s one crucial lesson that I’ve had to actively unlearn, and it’s an ongoing process to this day.
I have been conditioned to mask the pain, to wear a smile even when every inch of my body throbbed with exhaustion and my feet were bleeding. Breaking this habit of concealing my struggles, of projecting an image that all is well when my body (or life) is in turmoil, has proven to be a persistent challenge.
I’m naturally a reserved and private individual, and it has been a formidable endeavor to open up and reveal vulnerability, especially when life presents its most testing moments. Life, undeniably beautiful, also has its share of arduous and trying phases. I am gradually learning to shed the mask, to relinquish the façade of the unflinching ballerina smile and the stoic poker face. Because in order to create true connections, you need to be open and vulnerable and I hope my story can inspire people to face their fears, face their pain, and do it anyway. The only way out is through and we’re all in this together – we got this!“
