PROCESSING PAIN THROUGH CREATIVITY
Bright, colorful brains helped erase the haunting, grey MRI images
Two years ago, a fall led to the discovery of my mom’s brain tumor, stage-4 GBM. I was already experienced reading MRIs after losing my dad in 2010 to a brain injury sustained in a motorcycle accident.
I recall reviewing the vexing, grey images with doctors explaining cold, medical terms I never wanted to learn, and pointing out the irreparable severing of white and grey matter.
12 years later, I stared at a similar image of the tumor nested between Mom’s frontal and temporal lobes. Her MRIs have become lamposts, marking 2-month intervals and the creation and destruction of hope.
Unable to close my eyes without seeing my parent’s delicate, damaged brains, I began painting beautiful brains.
Painting helped me process the traumatic images and reminded me of positive brain associations, as fonts of creativity, intelligence, and the unique traits that form our loved ones’ personalities.
BLEW WRITING LLC 