Sharon knows this truth better than anyone does: healing never happens in isolation.

Healing happened for Sharon through expressive art therapy. She learned to express with paint and clay a truth too bitter for words. Guided by C4 art therapists, Sharon began to expose the pain of her childhood incest. And she began to heal.

For more than ten years, Sharon participated in art therapy programs, directed by C4 staff who helped her explore new mediums as she dug deeper into a painful past.

The results of C4 art therapy and Sharon’s creativity culminated in a one-woman show at Uptown’s Images Gallery, where Sharon’s art tracked her journey from victim to survivor. A colorful chalk drawing captures Sharon’s philosophy of life:

“You can look at a scar and see hurt. You can also look at a scar and see healing.”

Sharon’s resolve to heal from childhood pain is being tested by a new challenge- aggressive breast cancer. Despite the cancer’s threat, Sharon has dedicated the rest of her life to bringing home the message that incest can happen to anyone.

Trees figure prominently in Sharon’s art. “You can lean on trees, and they will protect you,” she observes. “At C4 I found a support system that helped me to look at the broken roots of my childhood, discover who I am as an adult today, and give me the space and encouragement to allow myself to bloom.”