It has now been a month since I participated in a special event: Art to Find Oneself Again. It was an intense moment that united art, community, emotions, and sharing, and I felt the need to put down on paper (or rather... on the web) what truly struck me.
The format was created with the idea of establishing a space where art is not just aesthetics, but healing, identity, collective breath. It doesn't matter if you are an artist, a poet, or just curious: art becomes a bridge, a welcoming place to look within and rediscover yourself.
In my presentation, I showcased my book Who Comes and Who Goes, a very personal project that intertwines poetry, illustration, and reflection on identity, feelings, and transformation. It was a valuable opportunity to share this journey with an attentive and diverse audience, not as a "drawing-room" author but as an artist seeking truth: their own and that of others.
The moment one of the lucky guests received my artwork up for grabs for the evening.
When art becomes therapy, community, sharing
One of the most beautiful characteristics of "Art to Find Oneself Again" was its inclusive and participatory nature. Not just shows or exhibitions to observe: talks, readings, discussions, workshops, a mix designed to give space to words, emotions, individual and collective expression.
I experienced the moment with a sense of responsibility and openness: we are all part of the same canvas, each with our own experience, often made of wounds, struggle, a desire to be seen and recognized. And art—mine, yours, everyone's—can be a form of healing.
For me, it was important to see how even those who are not "insiders" can find a listening space in such an event: a place to feel at home, free to express themselves, to listen, to share. The community that was created around Art to Find Oneself Again proves this.
What I take away from this experience
I carry with me the awareness that making art, but above all sharing it, can give meaning to individual and collective journeys. I have seen that my work, my poems, my images, can be a bridge for emotions, for those seeking refuge, recognition, healing.
I received affection, listening, interest. I breathed the desire to feel, to be, to meet. And I understood that every work, every verse, can become part of a community.
For those who follow my research: Art to Find Oneself Again was a strong signal, an injection of hope. For those who are distant: I hope it is an invitation to look within, to seek, to try.
