After my stroke, and on the day I medically retired, I sat crying on my front stoop feeling defeated. I thought, “What do I have left?” But then came the answer, “my voice.” I had lost my ability to speak during the stroke and regained it thanks to a clot-busting medication. Since then, I’ve felt this deep responsibility to use my voice, but not just with my podcast. In recovery, I also began expressing myself through painting, sewing, sketching, and upcycling. I love to transform old broken jewelry, scrap fabric, and other materials into something beautiful and meaningful. Creativity became another frequency of my voice, one that speaks of resilience.

Through recovery upcycling and creativity, I’m healing while also making the invisible parts of me visible through my art. I’m reclaiming pieces of myself that felt thrown away long ago. Whether it's sketching an eye with a tear, restoring a cracked bracelet with a little wood filler and gold paint, or creating a bowl sculpture out of shell necklaces, I’m expressing what words can’t always reach. Creativity has given me structure, peace, and inspiration. I don’t have to be an artist to become one.

Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and YouTube.

Visit my Etsy shop, Recovery Upcycling. https://www.etsy.com/shop/RecoveryUpcycling

To learn more about vestibular disorders visit https://vestibular.org

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