I believe there is a better day for everyone that can be fostered by the adversity each and every one of us faces in our lives. Let’s face it; everyone has something they are dealing with. Living proof my own journey - from Captain of the Ohio State Tennis Team to a diagnosis of mental illness and a battle and recovery that has defined my character and led to an incredible life.
And all these years I waged a war against an invisible opponent where the stakes were the quality of my life. A silent assassin hard to understand, cure or even explain to someone. A disease that takes on the absurd and irrational and turns it into obsessions so powerful that it consumed my life with an anxiety level I can only liken to being at the airport with your 2 year old daughter and turning your back for a second to grab your bags and when you turn around your daughter is gone. And this in turn forced me into senseless compulsions for hours to lower that anxiety. But I was lucky, I was diagnosed with OCD and with that the treatment/support needed and hope for a better day.
And all these years I waged a war against an invisible opponent where the stakes were the quality of my life. A silent assassin hard to understand, cure or even explain to someone. A disease that takes on the absurd and irrational and turns it into obsessions so powerful that it consumed my life with an anxiety level I can only liken to being at the airport with your 2 year old daughter and turning your back for a second to grab your bags and when you turn around your daughter is gone. And this in turn forced me into senseless compulsions for hours to lower that anxiety. But I was lucky, I was diagnosed with OCD and with that the treatment/support needed and hope for a better day.
Desperate for a release from the anxiety (despite no formal training) I tried painting one day and found inner peace that changed my life and helped me not only cope but thrive despite the illness. What came easy and just felt good provided me a medicine and a vehicle (my own blank canvas) to capture my imagination and creativity. And unexpectedly my art highlighted by faceless characters, bold movement and thought provoking titles (“Stop the Madness,” “1/2 Daddy,” and “Getting better” ) connected with people on an emotional level providing me the opportunity to increase awareness and help others through my art, speaking and even teaching. I’ve seen the magical power of the arts and its ability to heal firsthand. Whether it be a 15 year old withdrawn boy unable to paint transformed over a simple canvas to an engaged teenager to a 6 year old and his parents enjoying a few moments of normalcy through the beauty of painting together.
I believe that children can often say it better than adults. I was recently reminded by my 7 year old daughter in a beautiful note where she told me that I have a “heart full of art”, how proud she is of me and how she thought that I really “get it now”... And as I think about everything that I’ve been through, I agree with her.
