Out of the Ashes
As I think back on my time in South America, I remember the lessons learned and the challenges I faced while traveling that huge continent alone. One moment in particular stands out among the rest–the moment it all made sense.
On my first ride into Bogota, Colombia, I was taken back with all the street art–colors, faces, eyes, and strange creatures stared at me as I rode past. It was beautiful and exotic, and I wanted to know what this was all about. I soon had an opportunity to do so. A tour was offered to understand what many of these pieces of art meant as well as to learn about the artist themselves. The man who started this tour is a street artist himself from Australia who goes by the name of Crisp. He moved to Colombia for the sole reason that it is not illegal to graffiti. He uses amazing stencil work to display his talent. Since it is legal to create street art in Bogota, places will often pay artists to create a piece of work on the side of their building in order to save the time and money spent to keep it free of random taggers. There is an unspoken rule on the streets, once the art is there other artists do not mess with it. Of course you will have some who are hot headed and paint over it with their own piece, but that is considered disrespectful to not only the art but to the artist as well. Each piece of work has a meaning behind it, some have a very clear political statement while others are left up to the viewers interpretation and imagination.
With many fields of work in this world, women contributors are often few or in some cases nonexistent. This was the case for the street art scene in Colombia as well. In recent years however, women have started to step in and start creating their own pieces of art on the walls and buildings around the country. One artist in particular caught my eye over and over.
She goes by the name of Bastardilla–the Spanish word for Italics. Her work is personal and geared towards women, depicting women in much of her art. In each piece she tells a story, her story, allowing the viewer to see a glimpse into her personal life. In many of her works you can even feel her pain.
As the tour came to an end, our guide led us to one final piece of her art that stood out to me above all the rest. It is simply called The Phoenix. When my eyes settled upon this piece–it clicked. Everything made sense, I saw myself in this work. For those of you who don’t know the story behind the phoenix, it is a bird that was birthed in Greek mythology. The phoenix rises out of its own ashes, of its deceased form, obtaining a new life. It creates a picture of renewal. As I gazed on this art, thoughts flooded my head–all these years struggling through pain, sadness, betrayal, mistrust, and heartache–and in this single moment, it all went up in flames.
What has come since that day has been renewal of strength and a sense of knowing I can make it through anything. I am always surprised by myself. When I start out on any journey, whether big or small, I still have fear that guides my first step out the door. However, I never allow it to stop me from doing what I want to do, what I need to do. Maybe that is my stubbornness, but whatever it is, it has pushed me to do things that many never take the chance to do.
I can’t help but smile when I look back on my journey. I have grown so much, learned so many incredible things about myself, other cultures, and from the people I met along the way. If I can set out on a journey by myself to South America, survive many painful years before that and not be jaded from it, but still see the beauty in life and love, then I can survive and do anything!
If you are ever afraid of doing something, especially something that goes against what is expected of you, take heart my friend, look to those who have gone before you and especially to what you have accomplished in years past. When you recognize what you have overcome thus far, taking that step out the door into your next adventure won’t seem so scary. It is a daunting task in nature, however you never know what may come out of the ashes.
Check out Bastardilla’s stunning and moving street art.
Catch a glimpse of Crisp’s amazing street art.