Victim No More, Silent No More
The Healing Power of Art
By Dawn Patel, local artist and owner of Brilliant Stranger
This is the story of the birth of a painting, but it is much more. It
is the story of life events that nearly destroyed me. I was not
destroyed, but these events followed me. I moved from place to place,
but they were never far behind. I tried therapy, but they returned in
the night. I grew strong and confident, but they lingered in the corners
of my world waiting for a weak moment to pounce. I built a life for
myself, but they built a wall around that life, keeping my fears in and
real intimacy out. This is the story of domestic abuse, abuse from an
intimate partner. One of the most insidious and terrifying forms of
violence, it is one of the most common. And it is a story of a painting
that has been my way of breaking down my walls, the real and the
imagined. 
Read more of Patel's powerful story here>>