I come from a long line of healers. My father and uncle were doctors, my mother a nurse, and my brother is a cancer research scientist. Through them, I found my adoration for medicine, and if we could trace it back through my African ancestry, I’m sure we would find healing in our blood.

25 years ago, I began painting as a hobby while I was pregnant. I painted bright abstracts and explored different textures and mediums that I realized were deeply rooted in my spiritual beliefs. 

As a physician who specializes in family medicine, I integrate traditional medical practices with art and spirituality. I soon began hanging paintings along the walls of my office and it wasn’t too long before my patients became curious about them. If a particular piece resonated with them, I would ask them the simple questions “Would this bring you joy?” and “Would this bring you peace?” If they answered yes, I would give them the painting. 

I deeply believe art is a form of medicine for the mind, soul & spirit that also provides healing medicine for the physical body.

My faith has taken me to many places around the world. One such place is Malawi, Africa. When I was there, I felt a strong pull to the land and experienced a profound sense of connection to the people.

I learned the African word “Ubuntu” a central tenet of African philosophy, which Rev. Desmond Tutu explains as meaning, “You are generous, you are hospitable, you are friendly and caring and compassionate. You share what you have.” It is to say, my humanity is caught up, is inextricably bound up, in yours. We belong in a bundle of life. We say, “A person is a person through other persons.”

I believe this is the essence of what it means to be human. There is a rhythm to life in Africa, a universal pulse that stayed with me long after I returned home. I have traced my biological roots to West Africa, where I’ve been blessed enough to return to, to learn from, and to aid in any way I can.

When I returned home after the first trip in 2015, I began to paint the story of my tribal history, it awakened in me a call to the universal heartbeat of all people, and my paintings transformed into a spiritual reflection of the human connection.

I believe art is the reflection of one’s inner soul. It is the spirit within us that resonates with our past, present, and future.