old self/new self

Many years ago I was hospitalized because of a nervous breakdown. While in the hospital I had much idle time and it was a perfect opportunity for me to create. I made this sculpture out of clay while there, but it was never fired. Because of it she lost an arm, her feet and some of her skin.
What she is doing is removing her old self - the skin, the mask - pushing it away to reveal her true self. The parallels to my life became more transparent as time went on.

Her feet became detached - I too had lost my footing, my path.

Her right arm fell off (I positioned it in place for the photo) - that's the hand I use for painting and I didn't paint for years after I made her. And the skin, the veneer which she thought protected her all her life, well I'm still working on removing it.

I keep her around as a reminder of where I've been and what I'm reaching for. It also reminds me how fragile we are as human beings and how important it is to feel emotionally safe.

I'm identifying with her again more than ever. My elderly parents who live in an addition next door to us have been in and out of the hospital and I have no time to myself. I'm reaching a breaking point and I need to re-access my needs and boundaries. Painting time has been sacrificed for over 2 weeks and I can feel it. I'm working on scheduling daily time again so stay tuned, please.