Courageous Women Portrait of Nikol Peterman

Nikol's Courageous Women Story:
"When I discovered that compassion for others is the key to self-compassion, I knew I would be able to heal."
Nikol’s experienced a year of loss when her marriage ended in a painful divorce, a dear friend died of a heart attack in a heavy traffic jam and she was broadsided in a car accident. She was fortunate to have friends and family to reach out to because she increasingly realized how important it was to avoid isolating her pain by creating a bubble around herself. In her struggle to put her life back together, Nikol discovered meditation. The divorce had torn her plans for a family apart while the meditation brought her in touch with herself, her art and her calling. Nikol’s profession as a dancer, actress and dance instructor changed forever. In her early career, Broadway auditions were emotionally wrenching; surrounded by competition, hoping to be seen, feeling opportunities to succeed were scarce. Nikol’s move into meditation and yoga changed everything. As she rode the subway in NYC, she saw a man sitting across from her who was in so much pain.  She had compassion for him as someone who was also suffering. Nikol recognize at that moment how healing it was feel compassion for herself, as opposed to blaming herself for her circumstances. It helped her to more fully integrate the philosophy of non-separation, the integration of body and mind that comes from a focus on the breath. She recognized this included the connection between people. She could experience her journey in a new, healthy way. The positive qualities that came with that healing were numerous. Her new outlook helped her own her performances and trust that the right opportunities would come. Nikol’s performing and directing grew immensely because of her awareness. She began to trust in the powerful connection between the audience and performer and the true nature of resonance. She also realized that the power of authentically owning ones performance with an open heart meant an artist could create work that was of tremendous service to their audience. It also draws the audience closer as it feeds their needs, making that connection so powerful. So grateful for the changes that coaching, meditation and these new insights opened for her, Nikol is now coaching others to become wealthy artists. Learn more at: www.ZenRedNYC.com

Courageous Women Project video

https://vimeo.com/136580449

JESS GETTY

Jess

“Today is the sixth anniversary of the day I did not commit suicide.”

Jess had a hard time making friends. She never understood why. Lonely in middle school, lonelier in high school, she was angry with herself and purchased razor blades to cut her skin so her outsides would match the way she felt inside. For college, Jess moved out of state to make a fresh start. She met a young man who was a bright spot. She also made friends with her roommates and people in the dorm. She confided in her roommate that she was cutting herself, and her roommate gossiped to everyone. They all left Jess alone. When her boyfriend broke up with her and refused to explain she had had enough. While preparing a deadly brew a thought came to her: “If no one else is going to treat me well, I will treat myself well.” Today Jess is a psychologist specializing in depression and suicide prevention. She’s created The Fuzzy Project, an online community devoted to helping people understand what depression feels like. Jess’s goal is to create a place to reach out and meet others who understand the struggle.

You can learn more about Jess’ work at:  www.thefuzzyproject.com

For a more detailed description please visit www.barbaraferrier.com and look at the Courageous Women Collection

Kendra - Courageous Women Project

Kendra still remembers wanting to be like all the other kids growing up. She wanted to feel free to be herself; say what she was thinking, make a mess, get in trouble. She didn't let herself. She was the good kid. Her family valued hard work, faith and education, excelling and doing ones best. There were a lot of high expectations. Kendra was determined to achieve them.

Kendra thrived on keeping it together. She ran track in high school and college, got good grades, graduated from an Ivy League college, was a devoted Christian, had a great job and lived on the Upper East Side of New York City. On the outside everything looked perfect. She was living the life, right?

Something felt wrong. It was that nagging eating disorder. If she could just clear that up… When Kendra was in 9^th grade and joined track, she became very body-conscious. Running was her solution and track kept her focused on her body.

In Sophomore year psychology, one of the topics they studied was eating disorders. She had never heard of bulimia or imagined purging to keep weight off. But it sounded like it was worth a try. After all she wouldn’t have to be hungry and stress about what she ate. She’d just ‘take care of it.’

She started binging and purging to enjoy food and the feelings of being full. And she’d run really hard. Just to be sure she wouldn’t gain weight she’d run an extra few miles after track practice was over. When she binged at her parents house, she’d be careful and reorganize the boxes so you couldn’t tell food was missing. She was great at covering her tracks.

Suddenly she realized she had been living and eating like this for 5 years. She knew there was a problem and that it wasn’t healthy. If she could just get rid of the bulimia. So she became increasingly conscious of her behavior and started to get it under control. Until she relapsed.

One pivotal day Kendra was with her boyfriend’s family. They commented on how perfect she was. Perfect education, perfect job, perfect…  It was stifling. She felt like a fraud. Later that night, her boyfriend mentioned that he thought she was perfect. That was the last straw. Kendra completely broke down and through tears screamed. “I’m not perfect! I’m bulimic!” And with that a rush of calm swept over her. The truth was out and she could stop hiding behind a facade of perfection.

She knew in that moment she would stop living like this.  Kendra thought maybe that was all she needed to do, that being honest about that problem was enough.

But deep inside the little girl who wanted to just be herself was still waiting. Kendra realized there was more work to do. Loving herself and letting herself experience life fully was complicated.

Kendra had been hiding her shame behind a wall of perfectionism her whole life. The church services she always slept through as a kid? That wasn’t the faith she wanted. There was so much shame in that church’s philosophy that it took her away from herself rather than enlightening her. And she wanted to understand her relationship with men and with money. She saw many ways we can lose touch with ourselves.

And so the layers peeled back one after the next. Her consciousness and responsibility for her life was expanding. And that felt good.

Today Kendra lives in Wales. She shares her message through a website called the True You Project. She runs retreats in the Welsh countryside and works with women one-on-one all over the world. When Kendra works with people she takes a holistic approach. For example, when clients first come to Kendra to work on eating disorders, she talks with them about their lives, desires, beliefs and what’s holding them back from living the life they want. They spend time getting to know who they really are. Kendra’s found that clarity alone resolves a lot. Often without discussing food, people's eating disorders disappear. Kendra knows first hand how important it is to have an honest relationship with ourselves. And helping people do that is her life mission.

Woman of Courage Project by Barbara Ferrier. Portraits of women who build strong communities as a result of overcoming personal struggle. This portrait/story profiles  Yvonne Whitelaw'. Please leave comments about how you would choose to roll this painting project out - your perception and insights are appreciated.

Yvonne's Story
Yvonne was born in London and lived in several cities in Nigeria and the United States, which gave her an intimate look at humanity as a global citizen.
Yvonne thrived in medical school. She became a medical missionary and an NC Albert Schweitzer Fellow. She pioneered an HIV outreach program that served 2500 people and trained 75 more medical students to help. She received a Humanitarian Award and two service awards.
Yvonne moved with her 5 month old infant to her Residency - alone. Her husband couldn't leave his job. She had no family, no community, 80 hour work weeks and the care of her infant. Yvonne experienced first-hand a cold and sterile life. For all the care and support she provided wherever she went, there was no reciprocity. No matter how idealistic and committed she was, there was no opportunity to rejuvenate. It was a gut wrenching ordeal. Yvonne reached burn out and exhaustion. Heart palpitations and chest pain sent her to the doctor where Yvonne was sent to a Psychiatrist who immediately told her “you don’t need a psychiatrist. You need support!” Yvonne realized she had to resign her residency. She would no longer practice as a doctor. After all that hard work she had to walk away.
Yvonne saw physicians differently. She saw how exhausted they were. She knew how hard driving their work was. And she knew a lot of them had second jobs to pay down their student loans. They lived in a world that was cold to them in return. And then she thought “What if they all burned out? What would we do? The system could collapse.” At the same time her father had a stroke in Nigeria and was in a coma in the ICU. The physicians went on strike. The patients were discharged – all of them. Hospital rooms full of beds lay completely empty. It was silent. Her father was sent to a small rural clinic. He died within 24 hours. Devastated by the circumstances surrounding the loss of her father, Yvonne realized she was meant to help.
Today Yvonne’s mission is to generate awareness of this serious problem. She works as a physician coach and advocate, building a support system so they can get help. As physician suicide has become more common (400 suicides per year) Yvonne is working as quickly as she can.
In early 2015 the University of California physicians went on strike. Yvonne is building a large movement. She understands both the burnout and the solution.
Yvonne inspires a global tribe of humanitarian, idealistic and visionary physicians to thrive as they make a positive impact in the world. She creates a sense of belonging, a safe, positive and sacred space to share their stories and she teaches practical ways to cultivate their light by integrating community, music poetry and art into their lives.

You can learn more about Yvonne’s amazing work and services. Please find her at http://www.yvonnewhitelaw.com and her Live Your Ideals project.
Prints on both canvas and paper are available of this painting. Details coming soon.

STRENGTH to make it to the top Title: Cascading Ascent

I updated this painting recently because it is SOOO Motivating!! Wouldn't you love to be as strong as this woman? I know I would. She is the ultimate in pure strength and agility. Physically running to the top of a beautifully rugged path perfectly parallels the strength and outlook we acquire as we put our next adventures together - those amazing ones way off the beaten path. And you know what? She is going to make it there with ease. And so are we!!  Words of advice: Don't forget to enjoy the view along the way.  It always feels so good to be above the lowland trail - you know - the beginning of every hike where you're traveling through the forest floor for what feels like forever? How much longer? As if by magic the scenery changes and the path opens into a place you've never been before. A place that is wondrous at every turn. All I can say is that, if I were her, I'd set my tent up on a high perch, protected by the wind and elements where I have the most incredible view into this valley ever!!

In reviving my Woman in Sports series lately (that I began the drawings for the year my kids were all in track and my husband coached them.) Do you suppose this is a Self portrait of my mind?

$2150. 

Girl Without Pearl Earring

How Portraits make a difference:

Portraits, by their nature are a visual document. They can record history and have been used that way for centuries. But they also create mythology and tell stories. Ultimately they fall into the category of an ‘emotional truth.’  Characters within a mythology, like Gandolf or Merlin (in his many literary incarnations), stand for ideas and hope that lead us through the darkness of the stories as we read or watch them. 

My own portraits cross between both worlds – that of literature and that of real life because some are based on specific individuals and are historical in nature. But the stylistic way that I paint people places them in the world more literary or fictitious in nature. Girl Without a Pearl Earring, for example, is based on more than one person and is technically made up. She is a character in a work of fiction I am writing.

Anatomy of My Portrait Commission

Sasha asked me to create a commission for her this January. She sent a 'selfie' from her phone. (bottom center).  Photographs can be challenging because our eyes forgive lens distortion from photography. It's part of our visual language. However, we expect our paintings to look as accurate as if we're standing in the room with someone.

We talked about goals and what made that specific image significant.   Her goal: "capture the power of confidence but also love and wholeheartedness. Use  your instincts."  I found a photo taken from a better camera that I could treat as if it was the selfie. Next I photoshopped the mouth from the selfie onto that photo, knowing I'd have to create new lighting (as the two didn't match). And then for good measure I used two more for detail. This is what the computer monitor looked like:

Here is the final painting that I created from these selected images. Confidence, Love and Wholeheartedness. I genuinely appreciated the words: Use your Instincts. It really helped me attain at my own peak performance. Please add your own comments.

JOYA portrait

I am working on a series of portraits of women whose life stories I find inspiring and amazing. This is the first one I am sharing. Please respond with your feedback.

Joya Iverson was driving through a blizzard on the Mt. Baker highway. The powder was going to be amazing! Knowing her good friends were waiting on the mountain made the trip even sweeter. It was an awesome opportunity to see them. In 3 days she’d be flying to Ethiopia on a one way ticket. This would be her biggest trip yet in an epic career she’d designed deliberately so she could work and travel at the same time. So far she’d lived in Turkey, Ethiopia and Indonesia, up to two months at a time, for the past 4 years. This time she’d be going for over a year.

An SUV coming down the narrow, windy slippery Mt. Baker Highway at 60mph lost control and struck Joya’s car head on. Fortunately, she swerved and lived – but the injury to her brain and PTSD from the accident made for a long, hard recovery. No longer able to use the part of her brain that provided data analysis, Joya lost her job. Severe headaches, complete sensitivity to light and a general inability to focus her attention meant she needed serious help. At first, she was unable to perform basic tasks like choosing a loaf of bread at the store or concentrating long enough to brush her teeth. Fortunately she found a fabulous brain injury counselor who helped her re-learn to focus her attention and trained her in techniques to help her while her brain healed.

Joya knew she needed to put an income together. Medical bills and loss of work had drained her savings. It took a long time to decide what she could do. The idea of starting a coffee roasting company stuck. So with 2 1/2 hours a day of energy Joya decided she'd better get started. Living in Seattle’s Rainier Valley, she knew the drive through, boarded up neighborhood of Hillman City pretty well. It was a neighborhood, in her estimation, that just needed a ‘little bit of coffee’ to rebuild it into a wonderful community. Joya picked out an old corner building with blown out windows and a trashed interior. It was a known gambling den. What Joya saw was a beautiful old building in need of some love and attention, and hopefully an opportunity for the rest of the boarded up buildings (3 out of 4 storefronts) to transform also. Joya knew it was the perfect place for her coffee roasting company.

The decision to revive that space struck a chord with her community. They wanted Joya's coffee house to be their meeting place –and provide the quality of life their community seriously lacked. When Joya started a Kickstarter Campaign, the community came together in strength - and then the Kickstarter Failed! The community came to her defiant: “We will have our coffee house!”, they insisted. Everyone kept their money pledged to the coffee house. Joya sensed opportunity. Her favorite self-description: “The Marketer Lives!” pulled her forward. Joya sent the message to the media: "Our Kickstarter failed and we’re doing this anyway!" The media loved it. And the word got out! Enough money was raised on Indiegogo to clean up the building and purchase basic equipment to roast coffee. A swat team was sent in to close down the gambling den. And the smashed up storefront was rebuilt into a comfortable meeting place. The community strongly came together for this effort. It wasn't for the feint of heart. They took total ownership! When the sign blew down in a windstorm, Joya hurried to deal with it and found two men from the community on ladders, already rehanging it. Whenever anyone tagged the property, Joya painted it out and added more pots of flowers. It worked. People respected the property and the neighborhood began to transform.

Joya’s coffee shop is called Tin Umbrella Coffee. When asked about the name she told one reporter in 2013: “To me, it reflects simplicity and a shelter for good things. When traveling I would find myself in these corrugated tin roof shelters. And I loved the sound of rain on the roofs. It's kind of Seattle, kind of global: We provide comfort and shelter. It fits.”
Joya’s accident happened in February of 2012. In August of 2014 Tin Umbrella Coffee celebrated its one year anniversary! Joya was working long days again (although her doctors and employees all insisted she relax, sleep and care for her still recovering brain!) Her shop is nearly ready to pay her for the first time. The infectious energy to rebuild the neighborhood has taken off. A Peruvian chicken restaurant opened across the street in September 2014, a furniture store moved in May 2014 and a pet supply store will be opening soon. This neighborhood is said to be the most diverse zip code in the country. (98118)

Joya is treasured by all for her insight. It is not uncommon for her to speak many languages in a single day as immigrants from Indonesia, Turkey and Ethiopia come to Tin Umbrella Coffee. She is receiving awards for her Entrepreneurial skills and vision. Joya continues to take care of herself and her community. Her spirit and dedication helped heal an entire neighborhood and deepen the strength of the community.