I have been an artist since my earliest memory and there isn’t much that could sway me off this course. But something did. A big something, which I had not anticipated.

I had given birth to one healthy child when my husband, Aaron, and I got pregnant with our second baby. I was blissfully naive, so much so that when it was discovered that our second child, who we named Zachary, had a random genetic abnormality and would not survive beyond the womb, I was TOTALLY thrown off in every area of life. My art included.

I call the year following Zachary’s death – at birth, in my arms – my “Year of Distraction” in which I did commercial and editorial photography, but could not bring myself to make the art that was at the heart of who I was. I distracted myself from my grief. It was too painful to face head-on. Art was dangerous as I didn’t know what would come out of me. So I didn’t paint or write or express myself in those vulnerable ways.

It was only when I got pregnant again that I realized I had to break out of that destructive grief-cycle and confront my loss and what it meant for my life – and my art. What I did not anticipate was the role art-making and writing would play in that journey…

I love bringing my words and art together and have a very special giveaway to tell you about!

Some of my brilliant friends and family came up with the idea that I make a painting inspired by my book cover. Which I did – and you can watch in this awesome video below!

Then, I cut up the painting into bookmarks. All signed and numbered. I will be giving away these one-of-a-kind-art-bookmarks to the awesome people that come out to my book launch events at bookstores across North America – and the world. Click here to find all the events on my book tour. 

The idea behind this is so cool: We are all connected! Everyone with a piece of this painting will be connected to other people – sometimes cities or even whole countries and continents apart! This hearkens to the idea that we are all part of one greater whole and that we can help each other, support each other, and together be much stronger than we are alone. These ideas are at the heart of my memoir and the message I hope to inspire in everyone who reads my book.