When I first saw this painting, I felt an immediate connection to it. I did not create it, but in many ways it reflects where I am in my life.
Many people see a person lying down with a hand covering their face and a pair of scissors nearby. Some may see sadness, exhaustion, or vulnerability. I see those things too. But I also see much more.
As a hairstylist, scissors have been part of my life for decades. They are more than a tool. They represent creativity, transformation, trust, connection, and the privilege of helping people feel beautiful and confident. Through my work, I have shared in some of life's most meaningful moments—celebrations, milestones, fresh starts, and sometimes even heartbreak.
This past year, I experienced one of the greatest losses of my life: the death of my mother.
Grief has a way of changing how we see the world. There are days when we feel strong and days when we feel broken. Days when we want to fight and days when we simply need to rest. This painting captures that reality for me. It reminds me that vulnerability is not weakness. It is part of being human.
The hand covering the face speaks to the pain that comes with loss. The scissors represent the gifts, talents, and purpose that remain even when life feels overwhelming. The lines crossing the image remind me of the many paths that shape us—love, family, happiness, creativity, learning, teaching, growth, struggle, and resilience.
Most of all, this painting reminds me that life is not defined by a single moment. It is defined by everything that brought us to that moment and everything that comes after.
I see my mother's love in it. I see the lessons she taught me. I see the strength she passed on to me. I see the responsibility to continue living fully, loving deeply, creating fearlessly, and helping others.
This image is not about giving up. It is about enduring.
It is about finding the courage to keep going when your heart is broken.
It is about honoring those we have lost by continuing to grow, to learn, to teach, to create, and to love.
For me, this painting represents happiness and pain, strength and vulnerability, creativity and loss. It represents the beauty and complexity of a life fully lived.
And above all, it reminds me to fight until the end—not with anger, but with love, grace, purpose, and gratitude for every moment we are given.
