Artist Statement: Sarah B.
Hometown: St. Louis, MO
Sobriety Date: October 17, 2015
Favorite Media: Photography and Painting

Specs:

• Latex Paint on Plywood

• Framed

• 16 in x 20 in

You Are Here

Making art gives me a chance for reflection on where I am in my life. It taps into my unconscious. I find meaning after my piece is completed. That’s when I am able to become more self-aware. Often, there’s so much going on in my head. I need to get it out, release it, and get grounded again. Art allows this for me. I can look back when I am finished and see the map of my life. It’s like the mall map that says, “you are here.”

Art supports my sobriety, especially when I feel lost or aimless. As I create I observe myself thinking and figure out where I want to go next. I’m a feeler and make it hard to sort things out sometimes. I’m not sure if that’s because I am an addict or a human. On the other hand, my feelings are also a gift, allowing me to put something unique into my artwork. Art gives me a place to put my feelings outside of myself – clear my heart and mind.

We get fixed in our mindset, ways, routines of living, and thinking and we need a disruption to these patterns. Art gives me a reset or a jolt to gain insight into different ways of seeing. I embrace the diversity of mediums, yet I find that photography is an easy medium for me to observe how I see things differently than others. It’s all about getting a new perspective on my life.

For so long I lived my life as someone I was not. I lied to myself and others. I was afraid of who I was. Through Hope Creates, my sobriety, and making art I am now living an honest and vulnerable life.