There are seasons in an artist’s life when creation feels like breath — quiet, instinctive, necessary. This week in the studio, I felt that pull again. After months of rebuilding, reclaiming, and redefining my space in the world, I found myself standing before a blank canvas with a different kind of intention: I am creating from steadiness, not survival.
And something beautiful happened.
A New Palette, A New Phase
This week brought the birth of two new artworks:
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Whispered Horizons — soft neutrals and light peach tones layered into a gentle, meditative landscape.
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Earthbound Serenity — rich brown and sienna, each stroke rooted in grounding strength.
Both pieces emerged from a place of quiet restoration. They reflect a tender truth: healing changes the way we create. The colours were softer. The movements slower. The textures more intentional.
In the past, my art held my grief, my survival, and my silence.
Now, it holds my voice.
Art as a Statement of Place
Every artist creates with what they carry. And as many of you know, my journey hasn’t been simple. Being displaced from my home, fighting for justice, navigating agencies that failed to protect — all of this shaped me. But this week, standing in my studio, I realised something essential:
They may have displaced my body, but they never displaced my creativity.
Art became the place I returned to when everything else felt taken.
Each new collection — from monochrome pieces to earth-toned minimalism — carries a whisper of resilience:
I am still here, I am still creating, and I am still rising.
On Reclaiming Space – Physically and Creatively
For the first time in a long time, I allowed myself to design not from urgency, but from peace.
There is power in that shift.
To create from stillness rather than chaos is an act of reclamation —
of your mind, your body, your home, your spirit.
And perhaps that’s the true essence of this week’s work.
Expanding the Atelier: Books & the Podcast
With the website now live, a new door opens — the ability to bring all facets of my creative identity under one home:
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My books, including Healing Within, Homeless Not Defeated, and the upcoming Silent Screams, Loud Strength, will be integrated into the site as foundations of my story and my mission.
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My podcast, recorded through homelessness and healing, will sit alongside my art as another expression of truth-telling and transformation.
Because my creativity is not separate.
My art. My writing. My voice.
They all come from the same place — survival, strength, and the desire to turn pain into purpose.
A Note to Collectors
Thank you for the support, messages, and early interest in the new works. Your encouragement fuels the studio. Commission bookings are now open, and bespoke pieces can be created in any palette or size to meet your vision.
This week reminded me of something profound:
Creation is evidence of hope.
Every brushstroke is a promise to myself that I am still building, still imagining, still moving forward.
And so are you.
Until next week,
Samantha
Founder, Artist & Author
SJ Art Atelier