After a major breakdown in life at 35, I found myself at a crossroads. I had devastated every relationship in my life and had a blank canvas upon which I got to rebuild my life. I knew the path to wholeness lay in being authentic, but I had no idea what that looked like. And that's when my art came to me, as my salvation and my path. Piece by piece, I learned to trust my feelings and to hear my heart. Piece by piece, I learned what authenticity meant, and I learned first hand that there is no way to pretend to be authentic. Piece by piece, I learned that courage is acquired only by taking courageous action and that vulnerability is an absolute requirement for authentic living. Piece by piece, I learned that the wounds I took in living life were far easier than the wounds I gave myself in hiding.