There is a history to a painting that I have hanging in my office.  As a piece of art, it is a beautiful watercolour mix of colours and swirls.  I like to look at it in moments of contemplation. However, it took me a long time to get enjoyment out of this painting –not because I didn’t like the colours or swirls;  my reluctance to enjoy this painting had to do with what I knew of the artist’s history. 

I never met the artist, but I know he’d had serious long term mental health issues.  When he was still a young man, in a state of delusion and rage, he committed a heinous crime. 

For a long time, I could not look at the painting without thinking about the crime he committed.  Now, I have come to realize that we are all so complex; none of us are just one thing we have done, and none of us deserve to be known as one dimensional as so often happens with a mental illness diagnosis.  And maybe, just maybe, while he was creating this painting, he too was able to be something more than the man who committed a crime.

Beautiful creations are not always derived from a beautiful place.  

I chose to use Van Gogh’s Starry Starry Night to accompany this post.  It seemed appropriate. 

Four beautiful pages have been posted at  Contentment is for Cows.

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Enjoy!