Coming Home

Read statement on how Coming Home was born.

It was when I stopped searching for home within others and lifted the foundations of home within myself I found there were no roots more intimate than those between a mind and body that have decided to be whole.

– Rupi Kaur

Owning your story is the bravest thing you will ever do.   

– Brene Brown

The Falling

Listen to your gut when it whispers, so you don’t have to wait until it screams.   

– Maranda Pleasant

Goldenrod Beginnings introduces the exhibit with the warm innocence and naivety of falling in love. An insidious decline follows with an unraveling of reality and loss of self—a sheer falling apart. These pieces depict not only my partner’s calculated abuse and manipulation, but also my role through self-abandonment.

Goldenrod Beginnings

Every time I gained a piece of you, I lost a piece of me.  – a willing sacrifice  

     – Kiana Azizian

The Awakening

Then I realized
You only had power over me
Because I gave it to you. 

– I. E. Bowman

The awakening was gradual at first as I started to trust my intuition again. The pivotal moment came when I found a name for this nightmare. A name made it real. It provided a starting point for understanding and asking for help. I no longer questioned my sanity, and I started to see the pieces and sacred parts of me that I had lost. Knowledge armed me with the strength I needed when I finally saw through the charming mask and all the intricacies of this constructed façade.

Fuck You, Your Metal Heart, Your Paper Words

Our deepest pain is the entry point to our authentic power. 

     – Danielle LaPorte

Remnants, Pieces of Me

I See You

The Healing

When I realized that my past, pain, and journey were all part of my purpose:  I was set free.  

     – Lalah Delia

With immense love, support, and guidance, I started to heal. I’m still healing. With time and self-forgiveness, I’ve been able to shift my focus inward to look at my own shadows. I’m seeking to understand myself and my past, to grow, and to love myself so fiercely that I never lose sight of home again.

When you let go of what no longer serves you, you create space for what is meant to be. 

Growth, Gratitude, Grace

I Am Home

Everything I have lost was necessary because the grief that followed held up a mirror to usher me back to myself. What a gift it is to return home.

– Emma Zeck