(I'm feeling very shy about posting this, so please bear with me here...)

I have always had a passion for arts and crafts, from the moment I could pick up a pencil, or work with play-dough at the age of two. I have also endured ongoing trauma throughout my life, starting in early childhood, which in turn led to several chronic illnesses, severe social anxiety, various phobias and C-PTSD (that's "Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder", for those who don't know), due to the years of trauma and abuse...and which has basically crippled my ability to work a normal job or lead a normal life. While growing up, art (along with my writing and poetry) was no longer just a passion or a hobby, but also my escape and salvation, bringing me peace of mind, body and soul amidst the chaos, abuse, stress and dysfunction. Where others might have turned to drugs, alcohol or other means of coping, my art--and the soul-healing it brought me, as well as the joy it brought to others whom I made gift art or did commissions for--was the one thing that kept me sane, and gave me the motivation I needed to survive against all odds...and eventually, even to thrive.

What I hope to accomplish via my art is not really to make money (it was always more "a labor of love" than any kind of reliable income source anyway), but rather to inspire and encourage people in general to see and appreciate the beauty and wonder in life, even in the smallest things, and also to attempt to bring joy, peace, healing and purpose to others like me who have suffered trauma. It is my way of "paying it forward", in order to do what I can to try to balance out some of the pain, sorrow, and darkness in the world (i.e. "to brighten the little corner where I am"). I believe if we suffer ongoing pain and hardship ourselves, then we are better equipped to understand and empathize with others in their pain, and to help them endure and overcome it too. We can transform pain into light, a light that spreads out like a ripple effect, affecting the world around it, and hopefully making the world a better place. As a wise lady I know put it: "We are brilliant despite or perhaps because of the trauma we have endured, and we can attempt to transform it, like alchemy, into something valuable to each of us."

The reason I'm posting all this is because I would like to know if anyone else out there has C-PTSD due to trauma (either current or past), and if so, has your art or other creative endeavours helped you to cope, find refuge and peace of mind, given you purpose and identity, and even helped you to heal and overcome? And if it has helped you in any way, would you be willing to tell the world about it, in order to help other victims of trauma, and encourage them to find solace in art and creativity, rather than seek an unhealthy outlet from which there may be only a downward spiral, with no return...and also to spread awareness to the general public about C-PTSD and how severely it can impact your life? If so, please contact me, because there is a new gallery specifically for artists, craftspeople and "creatives" of all kinds who suffer from C-PTSD, and they are seeking new members to showcase their works, in order to help and encourage other victims, and to teach the public. (This isn't a furry gallery, btw, but a general one, for the general public.)

The wonderful lady who has started this project (the same lady I quoted above) does amazing glasswork, and has her art displayed in various RL galleries and also a museum, and she feels that the world should see and learn from our works too. So if you're genuinely interested in being a part of this, and want to help try to make a difference, please comment here or note me, and I'll note you back with further info. :) And as for me, I still have a long way to go before I'm healed from my own trauma--if ever--and the physical issues will never go way, but I can at least say that I have already come far along the path of healing (thanks to the enduring patience, love and support of my hubby and friends, who've always encouraged me to keep doing art, even when I couldn't bring myself to draw at all, and wanted to give it up), to the point where I can now try to help others heal...And I truly believe that's what life (and the gift of art) is all about, for as they say, "We can't help everyone, but one life saved at a time is all it takes to make a difference". :)

~SD

P.S. For further info about C-PSTD and trauma-related disorders, the type of people (and actions) that cause it, and all the ways it can affect you, please see the links in the description here (there are a lot, but they are well-worth reading): http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6993227/