7/12

The 7th work of this series is about the difficulty to go from one place to the other, even after you already relocated. How the paths may seem easy, but nothing is really easy when you feel vulnerable and weakened. The doors are in the same room, but the simple way from one to the other can make you feel afraid and represent dangers that your mind knows way too well to ignore. Mental health play a key role in it. The decision to start a new life is filled with fears and insecurities. And it takes a lot of courage not only to dare to leave but to arrive and deliberately choose the best possible path for yourself. Bringing in the good memories and allowing new friends into your life may help to keep the ghosts of the past at a safe distance. It is not easy to decide and choose to be happy, leaving behind all the rubble, wounds and bruises, but it is necessary, despite the impossibilities. And it’s worth it, despite the herculean efforts. I am grateful to the friends who helped me build new memories, easing my fears and creating safer shelters, with wider and more beautiful windows and views.

Luciana Mariano (Series: Finding home)

Original artworks available at MakslaXO Galley, in Riga, Latvia.