Devastation

Devastation

dev·as·ta·tion

1. great destruction or damage.

2. severe and overwhelming shock or grief.

Devastation is from the Stroke of Emotions Series I created in 2017.

In this image, I am crouching alone surrounded by total devastation.

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The scene I chose to represent total devastation is an image from the clear cut of a forest, with a stormy sky in the background.

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Crows circling high above, as well as closely approaching, signify a personal transformation.

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Some people believe crows represent doom. Some people believe crows represent destiny,

or being fearless.

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What does the story say to you?

In the immediate days and weeks following my husband's stroke, the one word that kept coming to my mind was devastation.

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Severe shock. Overwhelming grief. Our lives had changed. Forever.

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Well meaning friends told me that our lives would get back to normal. It would just be a "new normal".

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In the future, I would come to appreciate the positive things in our lives. But during that awful time, all I could see was what had been lost.

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I was at home, alone. I couldn't confide my fears to the one person I usually talked to because he was in the hospital fighting the battle of his life. I had no one else I wanted to confide in. My dreams for the future, whether they were practical or not, were no longer possible. No hope for traveling. No hope for a getaway place by the ocean. I had been accepted for a university program at art school for the following fall, but would not be able to attend.

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It was very selfish of me, but that was reality.

Of course, I was fully supportive of my husband's challenges and I spent my days at the hospital with him.

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But during my nights at home, I cried many tears and was in a very dark place.

About Stroke of Emotions:
In an effort to deal with my worry and feelings of helplessness after my husband had a major stroke in 2017, I turned to my hobby of photography. I took self portraits and created composited images using my photographic library to help define and illustrate my feelings. From devastation through rejuvenation, it is a story of a healing journey that I hope will help others going through a difficult time.

The complete story of Stroke of Emotions is available in book format. To view and/or purchase online click on this link.