After going on medical leave from my position in the corporate world, I grappled with feelings of isolation, pain, and self-doubt. It quickly became apparent that finding a way to express and release these emotions was a necessity. The moment I began painting Relief., I knew that art was shifting from a hobby in the background to once again being a prominent fixture in my life. These self-portraits are experimental works with a heavy subject matter, and it's been important to me that I choose to take my time and continue to use these pieces as a form of therapy—the goal when I pick up the paintbrush is never to finish the artwork, only to add what needs to be added at that moment.