Who we are & why we are

Welcome to the gallery site of Broken Light Collective. We are artists of all levels and abilities who are affected by mental illness. We create and we share our work for the therapeutic benefits to us, as well as others who may be struggling and feeling scared and alone. Together we can move from disconnected to collective.

Photo taken by contributor Jeanette Clawson, a woman in her forties from Beaver Dam, Wisconsin who has suffered from depression and severe pain related to migraines. Jeanette was a school psychologist until pain and disability forced her to stop working. Despite her struggles, Jeanette’s main goal in life is to contribute as much peace and beauty to the world as she can. Art has always helped her cope with dark feelings, and now she is using it to hold on to positive ones. She enjoys painting, doodling, coloring, and most of all creating gratitude journals and mixed media collages. Photography had primarily been used in the service of larger pieces or family scrapbooks until recently when she began discovering the joys and freedom of photography for its own intrinsic beauty. Jeanette spends her time focusing on her art, teaching occasional workshops, and blogging about gratitude and altered book journaling.

About this photo: I really struggle with the dark and isolation of winter. Signs of spring bring me so much joy. The diminishing dirty snow piles are being replaced with small buds of green. The availability of big bunches of tulips in stores warm my heart. These tulips were purchased for a family gathering and it was great to have people over again. I realized that the last guests we had were last fall. Next year I intend to make a plan to reduce my tendency to hibernate and I hope that will be healthier for me.”

Find more from Jeanette at her blog.

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**Visit Broken Light’s main gallery here. Currently accepting submissions.

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10 responses to “Signs of Spring”

  1. LauraZeitlos Avatar

    Beautiful!
    Regards,Laura

    Like

  2. waelben2000 Avatar

    Can’t wait. . The weather here is playing games this year. http://www.waelben2000.wordpress.com

    Like

    1. Jeanette Clawson Avatar

      It is really teasing us too. This morning I told my younger son that one of my favorite spring poems is the ee cummings poem spring is like a perhaps hand. Spring does not come all at once, but tentatively. But the sun is warming up and the ground is thawing and it feels like a metaphor.

      Like

      1. waelben2000 Avatar

        Lool.. yeah! In here the temperature jumped to 20 c and in one day down to -4. I love the variety, but worried about the environment.

        Like

  3. Madeliene Rose Avatar

    I love tulips they remind me of my mother singing Tulips in Amsterdam… http://www.madelienerose.com

    Like

  4. Crooked Tracks Avatar
    Crooked Tracks

    Lovely photo. I can’t wait until my tulip grow 🙂

    Like

  5. Paula McLane Jennings Avatar

    beautiful photo and your story is so much the same as mine. I too suffer with migraines, seasonal affective disorder, depression and anxiety. I love the signs of spring that help to pull me out of the dark winter blues too.

    Like

    1. Jeanette Clawson Avatar

      Keep looking for and creating beauty. That is what really helps me keep going. It looks like you make beautiful cards. Thanks for your support.

      Like

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