My name is Breezy. I have a BA in studio art with focuses in graphic design and printmaking from Columbia College. I paint & draw with various tools, sculpt, make linocut prints, photograph, and do various mixed media pieces. I am a 28 year-old non-binary disabled/chronically ill neurodivergent lesbian who is active in creating awareness for others like me while fighting for minorities and helping my community in every way I can.
Artist Statement
From the time I was born I was exposed to a life of chaos. Chaos that did not give me the opportunity for clarity of who I was as a person but was constantly leaving me in darkness and confusion. I learned to cope by taking care of others better than I could take care of myself, ignoring my problems so I didn’t have to face them. Which led to my hEDS (hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome) worsening quicker than it should have as comorbidities piled up. I was taught and learned to sacrifice myself for other’s comfort. I limited myself and held myself back because I listened to what others told me I should do. I was a self-loathing people pleaser. I did not think of myself as an artist until after I received a scholarship to pursue art, when I finally accepted that I had some talent to develop and chose to go against what others wished I would study. My first semester I had a 2-week stay in a psych ward where I participated in art therapy which changed my whole perspective. I then spent all of undergrad exploring who I was as a person through my art and learning how to heal the traumatized child within. All while learning more about my hEDS and how to take care of my constantly changing health. I once was a perfectionist who compared my art to others’ art and did not think highly of my works at all. As my arthritis, carpal tunnel, nerve pain, and tendonitis issues worsened I had to learn to let go of my ideals of what my art should look like as I mourned and adapted. This freed me as an artist because I no longer compare my art to others, rather, I look at my creating as a tool of coping. A way to express all the emotions I cannot put to words. A way to show people the layers of my soul visually. A way to heal. This piece I created while thinking of my struggle to accept the reality of my health, while rejecting the negative views of myself, processing how my past experiences have shaped me as a person, how I have begun to radically accept myself, and how I have recovered from being chronically suicidal through self-taught art therapy. I have named this piece “wait for it”.
My entire adulthood I have spent waiting for medical testing, test results, proper healthcare, and support I needed while being incredibly impatient with myself and my situation. This is the largest painting I have ever painted and with my issues with my hands, arms, and back I have had to ensure that I take my time without causing more harm to my body.
“Just you wait, it will get better.” I heard this so many times when I was younger and I never believed it. I now know it was because I was looking at the picture wrong. I was interpreting it in a literal way. I imagined the world and my situation would improve; I did not think that the power was within my mind. The power to change my outlook on life. The power to control my narrative and continue to create despite being physically & financially restricted. The power to accept myself as an artist, not because I am a great one, but because I have not let anything stop me from creating. “Wait for it” is a piece tying in chaos with flow, layers, and texture. It focuses on feeling & intuition more than technique. It is intended to evoke questions and trigger curiosity without ever being fully understood. It reflects the light within my soul that has dwindled often but has never died. A self-portrait of sorts.