The Art Of Breaking Open

The Premonition

After turning 26 on August 26, 2025, I felt this year was going to be different, though I didn’t know how or why. A few weeks after my birthday, I found myself heartbroken and depressed and completely misaligned with my career.

The Descent

September and October were the toughest months. It felt like a black cloud hovered over me. Breathwork, meditation and working out were the only things I could control- so I remained consistent and went deeper with these practices to keep me afloat. I didn’t believe my life could get better—until I did.

The Call

I got a call from an old coworker about a job perfectly aligned with my strengths; he said I’d be the perfect candidate. A few weeks later I got a call that I got the job. That night, I felt inspired, and while scrolling social media, I saw a video of an elephant-statue exhibit on Miami Beach. I’ve always felt connected to elephants and keep a framed photo of one near my bed. I intuitively felt that I had to go see that exbibit in person, so I followed my intuition and booked my flight. Soon after,I learned it was part of Art Basel in Miami.

By fate, I texted an old friend I hadn’t seen in years—an artist living in Chicago— who happened to have an extra ticket, and he gave it to me.

The Awakening

Before I knew it, I was in Miami, excited to see the elephants from Instagram. Before I even got the chance to go to the elephant exhibit, I stepped into the main exhibition hall and felt something awaken inside me—something I’d never felt and couldn’t explain. I was overwhelmed, inspired and moved by the paintings. This world became real; I hadn’t known it existed.

I fell in love. I felt like I was sleeping my whole life and finally woke up.

I understood, without thinking, that art is the human experience captured on canvas—formless vision brought into form with color and brushstroke. All I could think was that life is about creation; we’re born to create. I was awestruck that artists could die and be reborn daily, pouring passion and emotion into the paintings my eyes kept finding. They were giving life to unspoken feelings and seeing the experience for us.

Even while navigating painful transitions, I’d never felt more alive. It felt like I could die the next day and be at peace because of what I’d experienced at Art Basel. On my last night, right before leaving for the airport, I finally saw the elephant exhibit. It was the cherry on top to the most amazing trip of my life.

Return - The Alchemy Begins

I came home so inspired that I started writing and painting. I thought the excitement and passion would last only a few weeks, but it never left.

The pain, heartbreak, and depression had left me raw, open, and vulnerable. Yet that same rawness and openness let something else in: art.

Through painting, the intensity of pain I carried turned into passion and love for something new. Had I never gone through those life transitions, I never would have believed I’d end up at Art Basel.

Now I can’t imagine life without art. It’s a gift to have the experiences and emotions that shape us, because if you let them, they will always lead to transformation. May we all stay open—and be transformed for the better and to serve.