Mishy Rowan is a Blue Mountains artist who developed her intuitive, meditative technique out of a desire to surround herself with colour after being stung by a poisonous caterpillar in India (true story).
For the full story, keep reading...
Whilst there are many possible starting points for this journey, today let's begin in India...
"Madam, what is your life's purpose?" a young boy in Varanassi in the north of India asked.
I hesitated then mumbled my way through a sort of non-response. For months after this encounter, the question plagued me. Why didn't I have an answer yet? After all, I meditated. I practiced yoga. I spent my days sitting quietly by the Ganga surrounded by Sadhus. Endless hours of self enquiry delivered some answers but with every answer came another question which lead me no closer to finding out my life's purpose.
Then something magical happened... A strange set of circumstances that will never be repeated in the history of time.
I was stung on my hand by a poisonous caterpillar in India... and well, then I stupidly played my ukulele for hours - but that's a story in itself. Anyway, this combination lodged little caterpillar hairs into my tendon which lead to massive, I-can-see-through-time, painful decaying infection in my bone.
After a few weeks, I eventually gave in and had emergency surgery in Los Angeles (and yes, that's another long story!). After surgery, I expected the pain to go away, yet it only intensified.
Sleep-deprived and foggy brained, I was grateful to be in a safe place surrounded by loving family - with unlimited wi-fi and nothing to do. By the third day, a massive desire to surround myself with colour consumed my every thought and I intuitively began exploring art as therapy. I started painting every day whilst watching as many YouTube clips as I could about watercolour painting.
Then, in the wee hours of the morning, my intuitive, meditative technique plopped out of my mind's eye and onto the paper before me. Quite suddenly, in that very moment, I knew my life's purpose: To share a little bit of sunshine with as many people as possible through creative expression and random acts of kindness.
Within a few months, I was mostly recovered and I retuned to India where I created the Everything is Possible ~ India Collection... and I am also forging a new path as an art therapist working in the greater Blue Mountains region.
Perhaps this was not the story you were expecting to read here , but it's my story, and well, if you're still reading this, I'm glad to have shared it with you dear reader!
Love,
Mishy