Beauty Restores

Beauty Restores.

It’s the name of a painting that now hangs in my living room as a daily reminder of this truth.

I painted it during a solo show I created called So Much Goodness, which centered around seeing beauty in the midst of pain. I was right in the middle of my divorce at the time—heartbroken, but determined to see goodness regardless of my circumstances.

All of the work from that show has layers of writing embedded into each piece. This wasn’t new for me—I had used writing in many earlier paintings—but I had never created a full body of work with writing in every one.

The words were vulnerable and raw, yet also hopeful and healing.

Instead of journaling in a notebook (though I did that too), my paintings became my journal—my way of expressing my deepest heart and prayers as I worked through the loss of my marriage. They became a living conversation between me and God.

I would often ask Him what He wanted to say to me in that moment, and I would write what I heard.

It was a beautiful exchange. A place of deep trust in the most broken space I had ever known.

Here is a snippet from one of those conversations:

Lord, thank you for loving me, seeing me, knowing me, protecting me, comforting me and cheering me on. Papa, what would you like to say to me right now? Alisa, be bold. Be brave. Leap. Enjoy. Trust. Let go, I’ve got you. I see you, sweetie. My grip on you is sure and forever. It’s not loose. It doesn’t falter. It never wavers. It’s secure—always. I’ve got you.I am your way in everything. I am the way maker. Follow me. Leap with me.Rest in me even when you don’t understand... even when you can’t see.I can always see. I am safe.I’ve got you! I’ve got you! I’ve got you—Even when you have no idea what you’re doing,Even when nothing makes sense.We are together in this.I am in you and you are in me.You are never alone—ever!My strength and my life are in you.You are beautiful.You are strong.You are loved.

These frequent exchanges were like a drink for my soul—a reminder that even when I didn’t always feel Him, we were never separate.

On the show's opening night, I shared a little of my journey and invited others to consider where beauty was showing up in the midst of their pain.

We all have it—pain and beauty.

I hung a blank canvas on the wall and encouraged those who wanted to participate to write something that honored the beauty in their lives. I left out colorful markers so they could express themselves freely.

Many wrote. Some wrote big. Some wrote small.

But by the end of the night, the canvas was filled with the truth: beauty abounds, even in the midst of ugly, painful times.

It was powerful.

The next day, I began the process of painting over their words—honoring them as the foundation of the piece and allowing them to inspire the layers that followed.

I like all of my work, but there are seasons when one painting speaks more loudly than the others. This one has had longevity. It continues to feel fresh and alive to me, over and over again.

I’m grateful to have it in my personal collection, and I feel deeply honored that so many others added their own beauty to its making.