Mary Mayo – Rathdrum, ID

2018 MSAA Four Seasons Art Showcase Entrants

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Mary Mayo – Rathdrum, ID

I’ve always loved to be outside and in the woods. I’ve seen some spectacular things. I was diagnosed in the fall of 1999 with RRMS. I lost my ability to see and that was when I received my diagnosis. Within a year I’d gained my eyesight back and within another year I developed a huge case of denial regarding my MS. My denial worked well for me until 2013, my legs stopped working and I could no longer hold a pencil. No more denial…I couldn’t fake it anymore.

It was a horrible time in my life. I couldn’t even sign my name! I began keeping a quasi-art therapy sketchbook. My sketchbook helped me in ways I never thought it could. Within months I’d forced myself to pick up a paint brush, then graphite, and then colored pencils. I feel good when I draw, this is a time when I can be myself and put it all on a piece of paper.

Seasons of Change