Waking Up

Hi, I’m Aida and I’m an Artist :) It took me a long time to embrace the ‘Artist’ label but now I know this is who I am – I’m Aida and I’m an Artist :) I’m an Artist because I have Rheumatoid Arthritis. The darker the shadow the brighter the light…..My Rheumatoid Arthritis is my shadow. My art is my light.

When I was 20 years old I was diagnosed with my shadow and, subsequently, semi paralyzed for 4.5 years. I was bed bound. Life had literally dealt me a bad hand – I had irreparable damage to both of my hands – and left me down, desperate, and depressed. When I was in this place I asked myself ‘what would I do today if today was my last day’? The answer was painting, so guess what, I painted! However, I didn’t paint with paint brushes, I painted only with my hands. Why? To demonstrate to myself and to the world that I am not damaged and this dysmorphia will not define me. I have never and will never pick up a paint brush. My hands are all I need. I love my hands now. One question set me on a path to turn my darkness into light. My next question is ‘how can I spark wonder with my art and use art and coaching to help people feel seen, heard, and loved?’