NICOLE DONAHOO

BEHIND THE WORK

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Being an esoteric body of work people tend to forget that Tarot is a living breathing representation of our life cycles, thoughts, emotions, surroundings and actions. Everything we experience can be explained by everyone of the 78 cards of the Tarot. For me my life experience has been a process of internal reflection external projection. Learning how to truly be authentic in a world that would like to destroy any true authenticity of personality. It seeks to pave and destroy any personal boundaries and make them into the structures they see fit to run around, building it's wishes and needs. It distracts us with nonsense war and stories. We wake up every day trying to connect back to our higher selves and souls. Wondering why we fall so short. 

 

The raw Tarot is an expression of my pure emotional state that came to me in dream form, my bare interpretation from the deepest uncovered part of my soul. I suffered from a very intense depression where it looked as if I was headed to the edge, it is described in spirituality and astrology as the dark night of the soul. When Saturn, the planet of restriction and structure resides in your twelfth and psychic introspective house. Exposing you to all your subconscious deepest darkest secrets, fears, blind spots, faults and desires. My twelfth house happens to be in Scorpio, a feared and misunderstood sign, but most of all very psychic. Hanging over that edge for sometime allowed me to experience and ponder such deep and painful existential questions about life. Learning the Tarot was the one thing that kept me still firmly grasping to life. It helped me believe in magic again and with that magic things started happening. I begin to manifest greater and wonderful things into my life's including these pieces of art. 

 

Despite everything troubling I had seen and understood, I was able to channel those feelings and impressions on to canvases I had found for free on the side of the road. It was like outside forces had come to rescue and show me that I had a greater path and destiny in my life. Not only did paintings but my poetry, dance and song came bursting forth through me. My art saved me and here I show it to you.

Still in progress, as am I