When I was approximately 8 years old, I submitted a painting I had created to a county-wide school art competition. Despite not securing first, second, or third place, I received a highly commended certificate. While I did generally have a talent for creative projects from a young age, my time at primary school was overshadowed by struggles with spelling and writing due to dyslexia. Feeling neither happy nor popular, I found solace in artistic expression, viewing it as one of the few aspects where I felt valued. However, receiving a "highly commended" designation felt beyond inadequate to me, and highlighted my feelings of lostness, leading me to tear up my certificate upon returning home. The following day, during a school assembly, the headmaster announced a photo session for pupils who had been awarded certificates, prompting my confession that I had destroyed my certificate. Publicly reprimanded, I experienced heightened shame, as not only did I feel inadequate in my artistic abilities, but now everyone knew of my insecurities.

So, why would I tell you this: because to this day I still struggle with sharing my artistic practices despite the fact that, objectively, I have a professional artistic career and some career highlights to be truly proud of. With a new studio in which to work I have embarked upon this personal project for my own personal gain. To feel the fear and do it anyway, and in doing so I hope to grow as an artist and person. I invite you to join me on this journey and perhaps face your own nightmarish childhood experiences and allow them to be banished to the relics of history.