On the Journey

On the Journey:The Art of Living with Breast Cancer is my personal experience of the diagnosis and first phase of treatment of breast cancer. A mammogram confirmed a mass; the biopsy confirmed it was cancer. I was diagnosed with stage 3, breast cancer February 22nd, 2013. That was the beginning.

I started this series of mandalas to help me get through the Journey on which I was embarking. What has helped me the most has been using art to process my feelings, creating a new mandala each day to move healthy healing energy into my body and process out the negative energy. I knew from the beginning, art was and is essential for my healing. Creating the mandalas and doing the writings On the Journey has supported me emotionally through this difficult time. Doing art, on a nearly daily basis, has kept me focused on the Now.

Sharing the Journey has helped me. I have learned I am not alone. On January 2, 2014, I was upgraded to stage 4, breast cancer. The Journey continues with the loving support from my community, a sisterhood of survivors and thrivers, friends and loved ones. Hundreds of people have sent me angels, their prayers, their love and support. We all need to know we belong, that we are part of this glorious species: human kind. Enjoy and explore your own journey as well.