Artists and Child Abuse

I have long thought the exposure to the abuse I encountered in my childhood was the wellspring of my creativity.

Survivors go to a different place in their minds to avoid the abuse they know is coming. That place is a source of refuge and comfort. The Images and concepts they think about become greater than the experiences of the abuse.

Memories of the abuses unconsciously surface in the form of Nightmares and Flashbacks. They must be dealt with by some form of coping mechanism. Coping skills vary from harmful to constructive. Expressing myself through art is one of my constructive coping skills.

When I started grade school I dealt with the repressed memories by drawing and day dreaming. The art work and writing I produce today veils those memories in a socially acceptable way.

Thanks to those teachers who encouraged me to do art and to pursue original thoughts, I have developed the gift of expressing myself and reducing the harmful effects of the past abuses.

The painting above was done from a reference photo I made of the stuffed animals I keep on my headboard for company at night. They stand guard to ward of the demons that frequently visit me.

These images are filled with comforting emotions for me and the concepts they represent find their way into my stories.