Happy Monday to you!
Unlike this past week has been for me, today actually IS happy lol. I made it out of bed before noon, and even if I don't get as much accomplished as I would like to, I'm already happy that this week is shaping up to be better than the last :)
Today I am SUPER happy to share with you something that I can't even believe is happening... I'm having my first gallery exhibit next week!!
You guys.
You guys. I canNOT even begin to explain to you the levels of nervousness and excitement that are present.
It has been a desire of mine to have a gallery exhibit for yearsss. But I'd honestly given up on seeing it happen because I didn't think my work was "cool" enough to be in an art gallery, nor did I really see myself as an artist. I have a complicated relationship with that term. I always thought of artist and made the mental connection to fine art- those who can paint, draw, sculpt, etc and I could do none of those things. It wasn't until a few years ago that I expanded my view and begin to see myself in that light as well. I knew I was a creative, I just had trouble with calling myself an artist.
The more I began to take on creative and personal projects, the more I was able to see myself in that light because i wasn't just bringing to life a client's vision, I was bringing life to my own ideas- and one of those just happened to make this whole thing possible!
My beautiful friend and fellow sistog, Takiyah (an amazingly talented serial entrepreneur!) is opening her own gallery space, The PASS THRŪ Gallery and I am honored to be the first exhibit!
My exhibit #talkaboutuncomfortablethings will run from May 3 through June 3. This project means a lot to me. After my diagnosis last year, I began talking more openly about mental illness and how it looks for me using the hashtag #talkaboutuncomfortablethings. I was also doing small photo projects here and there inspired by this as well... So, to now have my personal project in an art gallery? I can't even explain how that feels. It's still so very surreal and (currently) I am probably more nervous than I am excited about it. This feels like a new level of vulnerability and I need to pull it together before May 3 lol.
What makes this even more exciting to me is that this exhibit will be during Mental Health Awareness Month! I started talking about my struggle a little over a year ago in hopes of (in some small way) challenging the stigma surrounding mental health, and I hope to continue to talk about this for as long as I can.
So, if you are in or near Dallas (or want to take a trip :), we will be having an opening reception and artist talk on May 3 from 7-9p and I would love to see you there!
-Danni