I often think that I have the best job in the world. I have the privilege of meeting wonderful people who for one reason or another have experienced life-limiting chronic pain or anxiety. Once we have agreed that the teaching programme of Resolving Chronic Pain is an appropriate fit, the changes are usually significant. Once the pain has dissipated, the real work begins, as there is an opening for a change in perspective. Clients often talk of how their confidence has increased, they enjoy trusting their bodies again, and want to work on achieving their potential. This might be changing their work situation, developing a creative activity, or deepening connections with people they care about. Sometimes it’s a combination of all three.
Clara, who has used a wheelchair since a car accident some years ago, wanted to explore the Resolving Chronic Pain process after reading one of John Sarno’s books. She lives with her parents in an apartment in Dublin and needs help to travel around. Clara enjoys her own company and gets on well with her mother, who is her main carer. However, both her parents work, and she is grateful to have the company of her dog, who is a great comfort and often joins our calls.
Clara is extremely creative. She had painted a little in the past before her accident but hadn’t done so since. We discussed the possibility of her painting as a means to distract her brain from the pain signals that had been medically checked and labelled benign. To Clara’s delight, she found her rediscovery of painting to be a tremendous source of joy. She doesn’t experience pain signals when she’s painting.
“I love painting because it gives me a sense of freedom and joy, the same freedom I was feeling when I was a child,” Clara says.
"When I paint I am often so absorbed in it that I "forget" about the pain I have. It's truly magical how my mind stops thinking about it. My paintings are usually inspired by ideas or images I get during meditation, so they often have a spiritual feel. I also love to paint intuitively, not having any plans beforehand. Or to paint only to express a feeling I have. Lately Egypt has been a big inspiration, especially its many mysteries, gods and goddesses. It gives me joy that I can put that on canvas.”
As her confidence increased, Clara decided to engage a peripatetic art teacher who come to her home to teach her once a week. Her art teacher suggested she show some of her work at an exhibition in October and Clara was thrilled by the compliments of those attending the exhibition.
Many were interested in one particular painting. Clara has now commissioned a limited run of prints of that painting and one other. If you would like to see the painting or purchase a print, you can find Clara on Etsy by clicking here.