On my Canvas: What is the truth of freedom?

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As I prepare for an exhibit of my works opening this month titled “Freedom,” this theme is bringing new realizations about what freedom really means to me. Here’s what happened this week on my canvas and in my life.

There was the awareness that my furnace not working is more than a pain in the ass. It has not simply been an inconvenience causing me to heat water on the stove and carry it upstairs to fill my bathtub (poor me). It has given me the gift of the hottest baths I have had in years, creating a deeply detoxifying experience when I needed it most. This shift in awareness freed me from being a victim.

There were the peaceful moments waiting for the raspberries to ripen, picking and eating them, inviting their health to feed my cells and rejuvenate my physical body. The quiet created freedom from pesky thoughts.

There were the tears of relief and love that welled up when my son came down the stairs at the Portland airport and I rushed to embrace him. Having him home freed the emotions weighing on my heart.

And right before that there was the amazing moment when I realized a freedom that was truly liberating.

It was as liberating as the experience that inspired the first Freedom Horse painting.

It was as liberating as realizing I was no longer afraid of ticks.

This new freedom I felt happened when, this week, I discovered I am not afraid of COVID.

This may sound insane at this moment in time. But I kind of think it is the most sane thing I have experienced in a while.

I was standing in the produce section at the grocery store. All around me, shoppers with fearful eyes and noses and mouths I could not see moved silently to gather their supplies. It was at that moment when I quite unexpectedly discovered I am not afraid of COVID because I am not afraid of getting sick and I am not afraid of dying. And I think that is the crux of a situation like COVID…fear of death or loss of health. When we are no longer afraid of those things, we are free.

Being free of fear allows me to know the truth of my inner guidance and wisdom. When I am fearful, I get agitated, I feel like a victim, I feel out of control, I feel panic, I feel instability, I feel disconnected from the present moment. And most insidiously, when I feel fear I doubt myself and look for solutions outside of me.

At that moment, standing beside the lemons, I made a choice. I took back control. I took back my choice. And I immediately felt freedom from deep within and a peace that comes from being in contact with the truth of your source. Remember the moment in The Matrix when Nero dodges all those bullets? That is how I felt.

On July 31^stan exhibit of my art opens at Lifeworks Chiropractic Center in Falmouth, Maine. The exhibit is named “Freedom” and is a transformative journey to the center of the freedom within each and every one of us when we break the bonds of the fears, patterns, beliefs, and limitations that have imprisoned us so that we can step into the full light of who we truly are. At the opening and artist’s reception I will be available to answer questions, there will be a hands-on art activity, free goodie bags, and the opportunity to purchase cards and art prints. The event is free and pre-registration is required. You can do that here.

I look forward to meeting you there,

— Larissa

Questions to ponder on freedom

Why you are making the choices you are making? Who does this choice benefit? Look inside, connect with your body and question how a choice makes you feel. Doing this in all areas of our lives enables us to begin a process of removing that which is not ours and live as the beings of love that we are.

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In the works

The second of the new Freedom paintings is getting some finishing touches.

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If you are interested in an original but not sure how to make it happen, email me to discuss payment plans, art leasing, lease-to-own possibilities, or scheduling a private showing at my studio in South Hiram, Maine.