2023 was not a good year for me. Significant health issues plagued me for 6 months and I had to overhaul my life in order to help myself heal and get stronger again. Change of diet, physical rehab, gym workouts, meditation, reiki, being outside in nature… the list of changes I undertook was long, alongside NHS care (and sadly for my bank balance, some private care, when NHS wait times left me feeling helpless and despairing). It was all a big mental health challenge to say the least, and not just for me but also for my partner, family and friends.
Nature, was one of my major healing factors both in physical and mental terms. As my health issues were neurological in nature, my limitations were very physical at first. Walking was so difficult for the first month, daily activities like walking the dog and even driving my car became too risky whilst I felt so out of control of my body. However, I got outside as much as I could, starting with sitting in the garden and walking round the block. Eventually, this built up to walks in the woods again.
I love the woods. Trees are just so special to me. The sounds, the smells, the colours and light, the sky, the movement of leaves, the textures… I can stand in a wood and feel peace like nowhere else. Nature is complex but also simple in its goals of survival, to just live. Being back in the woods is where I felt inspired to paint again. And so, 2024 has been a time when I have started to produce the most personal and meaningful art I have ever produced. I feel like I am dragging it out of my heart and soul. And in turn, it continues to help me heal from a year that has certainly left some scars.
Linda Rodgers Art & Design 