What happens when we finally choose to express the depths of what we carry?
This evening, May 24, 2026, at David Hall, offered a profound answer to those questions. I found myself walking through an exhibition beautifully titled "She Blooms." Hall 1 featured artwork mentored by Dr. Deena Elizabeth. It is an evening I want to bookmark in my memory, a moment I want to pop up year after year as a reminder of what is possible when women are given the platform to express themselves.
I was deeply moved by the artwork of two women, Asha and Nancy, whom I have the privilege of knowing in completely different spaces of my life. Standing before their canvases, I witnessed a masterclass in how vulnerability, agency, and empowerment can be translated into art, and how the exact same human experiences can be expressed in wonderfully different ways.
I have known Asha through work as a diligent, hardworking, and exceptionally curious learner. She is the kind of person who will keep asking questions until she finds clarity, and her questions often prompt us to reflect and think deeper ourselves. She pours her head, heart, and soul into everything she does.
Asha is unapologetically authentic. She is profoundly open to learning, relearning, and unlearning across all her roles: as a daughter, wife, mother of two, and pet parent. That immense passion and inner light are vividly reflected in her work.
As we stood by her paintings, she patiently explained her process. We looked at Kindled Within, the instantly connecting portrait of the woman holding a lamp. There is a Mona Lisa smile on her face, a beautiful aura surrounding her, and a deep glow from within. It perfectly captures her artist statement:
"This is not a dramatic transformation, but a sacred pause, a moment of remembering what was always there."
With the unwavering support of her husband and lovely children, Asha truly blooms. Seeing her journey fill a canvas makes my heart incredibly full.
Connect with Asha (Her artwork is available for sale): @ash_n_ember.art
Nancy and I come from a completely different shared world. Her older son and my younger son have been best buddies since their preschool days. They spent years giggling at nonsense, running between our homes, and launching epic Nerf gun wars through junior school. If I needed to find my son, I’d call Nancy; if she needed to find hers, she’d call me. Now, both boys are towering tall, navigating their late teens.
I ran into Nancy unexpectedly at the exhibition. She stood there, so unassuming, mentioning that nobody really knew about these hidden gems within her. She even felt a bit awkward, pointing out that her artwork lacked bright colors.
But to me, the breathtaking beauty of her series, "The Quiet Becoming", lives exactly in those shadows.
Nancy beautifully explained how light and dark coexist, much like yin and yang. Her art is a testament to accepting both as essential parts of life; we cannot fully experience one without the other. Her earthy tones and rooted figures symbolize the unseen strength formed through lived experience. I stood in awe of her work and the quiet, grounded way she presented it.
Connect with Nancy (Her artwork is available for sale): @treasamercy
Here were Asha and Nancy, two women from different worlds, connecting over their expressions as women.
As I stood there with my weekly buddies, taking it all in (and naturally, thinking about what we were going to eat next!), my heart was brimming with joy and immense pride. I felt so proud of all the women I met tonight and the diverse ways they choose to share their voices. I am so proud to be a woman witnessing it.
This evening left me with lingering questions, and I am leaving them for you to reflect on :
How do we create spaces that allow the people around us to bring their hidden talents to the surface?
In what ways do we recognize and validate the completely different ways people express their vulnerability?
How can we offer the kind of community support that helps someone finally choose to share what they hold inside?
May we all find our "Deena", and the community support we need, to bloom onward. And may we always remember to see the profound beauty in every kind of expression.
Note: The original artworks from both Asha and Nancy are for sale and, in my eyes, utterly priceless. I highly encourage reaching out to them to support their continued journeys!
