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Sunshine After Rain

© Jo Murphy

The therapeutic nature of artistic statements has long been established. After the events in America on Black Tuesday I have decided to share with you my journey of recovery. It is a therapeutic journey recorded in paintings, drawings, digital images and later murals. I hope that as readers view these images they draw some comfort from seeing a woman's healing journey presented in this way. Every persons recovery story is unique, however I have drawn an enormous amount of courage from the stories of others survival. It would be a gift to me if even one reader managed to draw a little encouragement from my own.

This painting was my first response to the series of violent events, which led to my admission into rehabilitation for a period of months. The recovery process although long is quite gentle if the person going through the process is supported, guided and most importantly believed. One of the most crucial aspects of recovery from trauma is understanding. This understanding is most helpful when it is achieved in a group setting hopefully with the family of the victim involved. Surrender is a painting of complete desperation and despair, accompanied by a sense of exasperation at the senselessness of acts of random violence.

The Divided Self is another painting which captures the confusion and loneliness of a sense of victim hood. There is often a sense of violation which has the victim stuck in a feeling of revenge for which he or she can also feel guilty. This feeling is often exacerbated by rational ideas that revenge is useless and harmful, and that all acts of violence can only encourage more violence. At this stage rational knowledge and emotional sobriety do not match up. The feeling of violation often requires some atonement. Acts of violence will leave the victim with a feeling of powerlessness and a sense of outraged injustice. Dealing with violence though, is not simple and so these feelings must be examined in a non-judgmental and supportive manner.

The victim can often be in a numb daze and is often unable to express feelings and emotions because a sense of wrongness. Art Therapy can be particularly soothing as the artist can simply express through line, shape and colour without being forced into a situation of attempting to say in words what simply cannot be expressed. Early recovery required an enormous amount of energy. Days and nights were spent going to workshops, healing sessions and reading about patterns of abuse and how we can break free. Those on this journey may need lots of support in the form of massage, meditating and any other healing form of stress release.

Surrender	Divided Self	Thode Who Still Suffer	God Is Doing For Me What I Could Not Do For Myself	Bees and Flowers
	Night Light	Children's Mural	Pretty Flamingo

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