Still Here — A Summer of Healing and Coming Back
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There are moments in life that remind you exactly why you do what you do.
The Stony Plain Artwalk on August 22nd was one of those moments for me.
I'll be honest with you — I almost didn't make it there. On August 13th, I had emergency surgery, and the weeks that followed were slow, tender, and humbling. As I write this, I am only 12 days post-op. I'm still tired. I still can't lay on my right side. My body is moving slower than my spirit wants it to. But I am here, and I am healing.
The Artwalk was not optional for me. I had waited a full year for that opportunity. This event is juried — artists are selected — and when I got the call that I was in, I said yes without hesitation. So when surgery came just nine days before, I made a decision: I was going anyway. Carefully, intentionally, and with every ounce of energy I had.
And it was exactly what I needed.
Almost every person who stopped at my booth told me my artwork was beautiful. Impactful. One woman looked at my woven piece and told me it was invaluable — and that the story I wrote to accompany it moved her. I stood there, still healing, and felt something I don't take for granted: I felt accepted. Accepted as an artist. Accepted in this community.
My Feathers of Hope series was a big hit — and that means everything to me, because hope is exactly what I've been holding onto.
Friends came. New friends came. People showed up just to show support, and I felt so deeply grateful for every single one of them.
I won't pretend it didn't cost me. After the market, my body let me know it had given everything it had. My tummy swelled, and I spent the evening sitting quietly with an ice pack, reflecting on the day. It was worth every moment.
This journey — letting go of my gallbladder, of all things — has also brought unexpected gifts. It's made me more intentional about how I nourish myself. More selective. More grateful that we live in a time with such an abundance of choices when it comes to what we put into our bodies. Healing, in every sense of the word.
I'm not slowing down. Fall market season is coming, and I'll be bringing my mobile gallery to some incredible events:
- September 13 — Alberta Beach Farmers Market
- September 19 & 20 — Skydancer Indigenous Market, Cultural Days at Carvel Hall
- November 14 — St. Andrew's Christmas Market, Spruce Grove
- November 21 — Winter Market, Muir Lake Hall (Tentative)
- November 28 & 29 — Christmas Market, Garden Valley Hall
Come find me. Come say hi. And if you've been going through something hard too — I hope you find your Artwalk moment. The thing that reminds you why you keep going.
With gratitude,
Nicole — UpSaged 🪶