Welcome, Friends!

HI! I’m Mollie! So glad you’re here.

I’m going to dive right in.

Where did this art interest come from?! I get asked this question ALL the time, mostly from people I have known most of my life. I have hid my passion well, much like I’ve hid so much of my life I hold dear and precious to me.

I have drawn every single day of my life since I could hold a crayon. I would draw for hours on end for my brother, Michael, who has autism. His way of connecting to the world was through a black Crayola marker and endless drawings of nuns.

Drawing, going to the convent, and singing Sister Act songs on a loop was my entire home life existence. I connected to those closest to me through art, and it was also my escape; a reprieve from the world I felt so different and disconnected from.

My childhood was unique. I can now see how fortunate I am to have three men to call dad, but it’s taken years of reflection to truly appreciate that part of my life. I have my dad, my mom’s husband, and my dad’s husband. Three men who love me as their own, two step dads, and endless dad jokes. And while it sounds lovely and beautiful to write that out, divorce, blended families, a sibling with a disability and high needs—I was constantly looking to keep the peace and do anything in my power to keep my family pieced together.

I have always been extremely guarded about revealing the intricacies of my life to those around me. I could never figure out how to open up about my dads or my brother, and saying nothing felt like the best way to protect them.

Today I feel the opposite.

We protect people through awareness and education.

Awareness, acceptance, and inclusion is the foundation from which I build my art on. It is what wakes me up in the morning, it’s what keeps me searching and reaching for ways to genuinely connect and celebrate what makes us distinct.

Art saved me when my health was failing, and my pain was immeasurable. When I didn’t know how to face another day, and the uncertainty and fear of my future consumed me, I turned to paint. It gave me hope; it quieted the the noise. 

I paint faces from every background, faith orientation, and color (green, also a skin color in my world). I letter words I find powerful, and quotes that fuel my fire for life. I paint the beauty around me, and I express what I feel through a brush, not necessarily what I see.

I consider my work to be expressionist and mindful. I enjoy watching my brush and water do the work, and letting my brain wander to a quiet place.

We are all healing from things we don’t speak about; we all have our own mountains to climb. Art can be safe, and I sure hope we can gather and create more together.

#art #artherapy #artistblogger #arttherapy #therapyisart #womenwhopaint