Petra: artist in recovery

Recovery: the freedom to express yourself

Look what Petra, a resident in UGM's Women's Recovery, did with her weekend.

Petra is shy and humble about her art, somewhat embarrassed by the attention. She said it feels a little like “someone looking over your shoulder when you’re writing in your diary or something, and they get to express any opinion they have." All the opinions on this large work displayed in the hallway at Anna Ogden Hall, however, have been positive. 

The picture's significance to Petra

"I’ve had some traumatic stuff happen, and there’s so many times that I probably shouldn’t have survived. Like even the times I was with my dad and stuff – like how brutal that was." Though she didn't realize it at the time, "Jesus was always there. He pretty much got me through it."

Petra said this idea of God as personal and interested and directly involved in her life is new to her.  "I used to put God on a shelf and not see Him as caring or being involved." She thought of Him more as a distant character in a book. "Knowing that He actually exists and that He’s there with me all the time, which I’m trying to learn, is pretty comforting.

“Every time I look at that picture it kind of feels like God is watching over me ‘cause I’m trying to start putting Him in that role . . .that he actually is there for me.”

Art as expression

"When I draw something for someone, it’s me giving something to them that took a lot of time. Growing up, getting someone’s time was very rare, so I look at it as very precious now.

"The friends I have here, I really love spending time with them. I really cherish being around them, and I want them to know how much I like being around them. I’m not good with mushy stuff. Even though I might not say that I appreciate them, I try to show them in different ways, I guess."

Petra gives her time, her art, and through her drawings shares more than she can always find the words to express. "I want to show emotion, but I’ve never known how to do that."

Looking at the picture above, that's kind of hard to believe. "I'm pretty much like the vessel. Before I started, I prayed, 'All right, God, this is supposed to be a big drawing of you, so you don’t want me to mess up on it.'"

To see more of Petra's art, visit her Facebook page: Thompson ART.

~ Barbara Comito, UGM staff writer

June 20, 2014 Update: Petra recently graduated from the UGM LIFE Recovery program.

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