Creating Beauty from Fear

What started out as a deep fear became a love for celebrating women and creating art.

A few years ago, when I started talk therapy to heal from childhood wounds, I realized being around large groups of women scared the heck out of me. I would get crippling anxiety and show up as a fake version of myself. 

Through art and talk therapy, I learned the best way for me to heal was through putting myself in situations that scared me repeatedly till my brain learned a new pattern – large groups of women would not hurt me.  

My first step was taking more interest in women.  I plunged myself into history, reading about women, their lives and their struggles (you gotta start somewhere, right?). I quickly learned that every woman was also fighting fears and challenges, just like I was. I began putting vintage papers of women in my art, to remind me that we are all connected and there is strength in our collective experiences.   

Slowly overtime, with art and going to more female groups, I have come to LOVE time with other women. When we come together it is such an amazing reflection of how resilient, creative, tenacious, and amazing we all are.  This month, the Boise Women’s Art Group started, all stemming from a crippling fear that turned into a deep love for female communities. 

If you have any ideas or things your heart has been pulled to, but you feel a deep seated fear, I hope you are invited through this story, to lean into the fear and welcome it with open arms. You never know where it will take you . . . or how it will help someone else!

Lots of Love,

Danica