From my dad who wouldn’t teach me how to work on a car because he’d rather teach my brother to the guidance counselor in highschool who told me girls weren’t allowed in shop class or mechanic class… Eff you! You were wrong.
Gender shouldn’t dictate what experiences and opportunities are granted or not. Especially, if the person is willing to learn.
I know how to check my oil now. I own and use a scroll saw, a drill, and have also used a reciprocating saw. And I’m eager to learn more. You may have slowed me down, but you’re not holding me back.
Here I am using a scrollsaw on an art project I’m creating & also showing off my drill. (I do not own the rights to the music in the video. This is a video I did for TikTok.)
If you’ve ever experienced anything similar, please feel free to share in the comments.
To Learn More About Me And My Artwork, Please Visit: Link Tree
Today, I’m reminding myself that it’s okay to not be everyone’s caregiver. It may sound selfish, but it isn’t. Boundaries and self care are so incredibly important and necessary to foster good mental and emotional health and well being.
I was always the friend who looked out for everyone. I was the people pleaser because I thought that’s how love worked. The whole “do unto others as you’d have done unto you” drilled into my psyche. I was always thinking ahead, planning, and anticipating to meet everyone’s needs. I was always a parent, an old soul, and so mature for my age. It’s a tremendously heavy and unhealthy burden to bear.
I came across this image on Instagram and it seems completely appropriate. It appears credit should go to Trufoundstory.
I was raised to be a caregiver by my family. Taught that I should cater to my father’s needs and whims, that I’m my brother’s keeper, and an emotional dumping ground for my mother. And I was expected to not ever really accomplish much of anything in my own life, other than to get married and be a mom.
I was consistently shown that my needs didn’t matter and took a backseat to everyone else’s. I wasn’t fully allowed to just be a child or person.
Growing up, I would watch my mother, who was also raised this way, become angry, burned out, and, at times, be incredibly selfish and cruel. She didn’t want children of her own so early on in her life. She wanted to party and be free. It just didn’t work out like that for her. She resented it, as displayed through some of her actions and in journals I found after her passing.
My mother had basically raised her sisters and then, upon becoming an adult, pretty immediately became a mother to me. She was always a parent and never could enjoy just being young. Her identity and purpose were wrapped in caring for others and in responsibility.
Who would care and comfort me, though? Oftentimes, I was neglected. I was used and taken advantage of. Manipulated and looked down upon. Rejected. Abused. My most basic of emotional needs rarely met. Inherently, I came to believe my worth was tied to my usefulness to others.
For the past couple of years, I’ve been on a trauma healing journey, though and I’m realizing all of this now. Through soul searching and trauma research, I’ve discovered that the answer to the question of who will care for me is me. I have to put in boundaries to protect myself. I’m not everyone’s parent. Not my parents’ parents, not my friends, my brother’s, my spouse, or strangers on the internet or beyond. Nope. It’s not my responsibility.
I have needs too and I choose to honor myself by caring for me. Boundaries help me have authentic connection in my relationships and any care I give is by choice and not programming. The cycle of generational trauma will end with me.
If you’ve ever experienced anything similar, please feel free to share in the comments.
To Learn More About Me, My Trauma Healing Journey, And My Artwork, Please Visit My LinkTree. Thank You.
Copyrights Belong Solely To Misty R. Lemons/Designs By Misty Blue Art Do Not Copy Or Reproduce (Excludes Image Of Lisa Simpson)
I’ve got a fantastic opportunity on the horizon: a chance to exhibit my artwork at the prestigious Grove Gallery in London and collaborate with the incredible team at Wraptious to develop a commercial range of products.
Your support can make a huge difference. Here’s how you can help:
1.) Vote & Share. Head over to the link above, give my entry a like & share it with your friends from there.
2.) Buy My Design: To further bolster my journey in this competition, consider purchasing “Rainbow Llama” on a luxuriously soft vegan suede pillow. Your choice to invest in this design brings me a step closer to securing a spot in the winner’s circle. Thank you!
Your Vote & Shares Count!
To Learn More About Me And My Artwork, Please Visit My LinkTree.
Copyrights & Reproduction Rights Belong Solely To The Artist, Misty R. Lemons/Designs By Misty Blue Do Not Copy
Today I experienced my first ever podcast interview! (You can listen to it on Spotify now!) The podcast channel is called Past Level 50 With Mel and my particular episode is called “Facing Trauma Without The Mask: Misty’s Story”.
Mel and I follow each other on TikTok and that’s how we “met”. She reached out to me about a week ago and invited me to do a podcast with her, after I had mentioned that someday I’d like to do a TEDx Talk and podcast interview about how I’ve used art to help me cope and heal my childhood trauma.
Mel is so easy to talk to. She immediately put me at ease. She’s genuinely kind and real.
I started my trauma healing journey two years ago and today was the culmination of what I’ve learned along the way.
Talking about my life isn’t easy. In fact, it goes against everything I was taught growing up and is foreign to me. I was expected to be quiet and not have needs or emotions. I was taught it was better for me to be invisible and not make myself a target. It’s how I survived.
Here I am holding a foam sculpture I made with an endearing message that means a lot to me
Today triggered me. I felt like I was shaming my mother and her memory. Like I was the bad child my parents made me out to be. Like I was failing her. But the truth is these things happened. I didn’t ask to be born, nor did I ask to be abused by people who should’ve protected me and comforted me. They failed me.
None of this has been easy for me. It’s like ripping a big bandage off a deep, angry wound. It’s raw and painful. But the wound needs to be exposed to the light to heal properly. Keeping this locked inside no longer serves me.
I don’t want to be a prisoner of the past. I owe it to myself to honor myself and my truth. And hopefully, my story will help others know that healing is possible. Though, my main goal is to feel better by healing myself and my family. But I love hearing that it helps others as well. That’s wonderful and amazing to me!
This is a journey I’ll probably be on the rest of my life, but it’s worth it because every step of the way more of the weight is lifted from me.
My mom was troubled. She had her own trauma and didn’t have the tools to cope or heal, but she wanted to and she tried. She did get some things right. She apologized to me a few years ago and genuinely meant it. I forgive her and I love and miss her. I’m her legacy and my healing and ending the generational trauma cycle is my legacy for me and future generations.
Easter with my mom and brother. This was her favorite memory and one of mine too. This photo was at her bedside when she passed. I was at her side too.
If you’ve ever experienced anything similar, please feel free to share in the comments.
To Learn More About Me And My Artwork, Please Visit My LinkTree
Copyrights & Reproduction Rights Belong Solely To Misty Lemons/Designs By Misty Blue Do Not Copy
Misty Blue Arts is an award-winning, multi-passionate artist and a survivor of thyroid cancer, chronic illness, and childhood trauma. Her work blends whimsy and resilience, often bursting with vibrant color and playful creatures, including the occasional feisty llama.
She works in watercolor, acrylic paint, digital illustration, and clay, creating soul-led pieces that offer refuge, spark joy, and reflect the depth of lived experience. Whether born from heartbreak or hope, Misty’s art is always emotionally honest and infused with wonder, humor, and healing.
Despite everything she’s endured, she still believes in magic and makes art that gently whispers, “You’re not alone.”
Her greatest strengths are her vulnerability, creativity, and courage. Through them, she connects, uplifts, and reminds us: even in darkness, we are not broken, we are unfolding.
Curious to learn more, explore Misty’s art, or talk licensing? Visit her Link Tree
Misty, Holding A Foam Conversation Heart She Sculpted & Painted, With An Affirmation That She Holds Dear
Copyrights & Reproduction Rights Belong Solely To The Artist, Misty R. Lemons/Designs By Misty Blue/Misty Blue Arts Do Not Copy
Misty Blue Arts is a multidisciplinary artist with over twenty years of experience creating vibrant, emotionally driven work. Her art has earned multiple awards, including first, second, and third place honors at the State Fair of Texas, runner-up in the PAAS national egg-painting competition, and recognition for a miniature landscape painted on a penny. She was also a finalist in a Hallmark holiday card competition, with her design produced and sold both online and in stores. Misty’s creative range includes everything from rainbow-toned watercolor pet portraits to public art; she has painted large rain barrels, an 8×4 mural for the City of Mansfield (TX), and a holiday standee design commissioned by the city. Her photography has been awarded as well, including a winning sunflower portrait featured in Mansfield’s music and arts festival. Misty curated and exhibited work in The Give Love Project (2020), a community-healing window-gallery created during the height of the pandemic and has exhibited work in two solo shows and several group exhibitions. Her YouTube channel has surpassed half a million views, where she shares her creative process and art-driven healing journey. And her Pinterest has 5,000+ where her work performs strongly in visual discovery and product-driven spaces.
For current work, writing, and advocacy, visit my Substack.
She is currently open to licensing opportunities, collaborations, commissions, and public art opportunities Here.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to the possibility of working together.
Watercolor
Acrylic Painting
Digital Art
Sculpting
Mixed Media
I’m an artist forging my own path and I rely on community support to keep going. The best way to help is by collecting my art or grabbing some merch, every piece fuels both my work and my survival as a creator and human being. If you can’t buy right now, that’s okay. Sharing, commenting, or even just hanging out here still means the world to me.
I am celebrating my life and all the hard work it took to get to where I am now.
For the past two years, I’ve been working on healing my childhood trauma and ptsd.
Highlights From My Life In The Past Year
Looking back now, I see just how far I’ve come. Loud unexpected noises don’t cause my body to go into an adrenaline filled tailspin. It would make me feel sick for a day or two. I recover almost instantly now. And when I’m triggered, which is less often, I’m able to analyze why it happened and how to move through it.
Along the way, I received some therapy. I journalled, sat with my feelings and let them pass through (I don’t ignore or resist them now), I got outside and painted, took up sculpting, and researched quite a bit on Pinterest.
Here I Am Sporting A New Hairdo And Wearing Polymer Clay Earrings & Pin That I Made
Journalling helped me process my thoughts and emotions. I had several breakthroughs that way. And Pinterest gave me new information I didn’t have before.
I didn’t think I’d live past the age of 17. Yet here I am now at 43. At home in my body. Loved and accepted by myself. At peace.
I don’t know what’s next, but whatever it is, I’m hopeful and grateful.
If you’ve ever experienced anything similar, please feel free to share in the comments.
To Learn More About Me And My Artwork, Please Visit: My LinkTree
Eleven years ago, I had surgery to remove my thyroid. I had two terribly painful lemon size nodules on my thyroid. One in front of the other.
Here I Am, Before Surgery. I Look Happy, But Was Completely Scared.
When they removed everything, they ran tests on the thyroid and nodules. They found a small amount of cancer in my thyroid. Thankfully, removing it was enough to treat it. I didn’t need chemotherapy.
Here I Am After Surgery And Having An Ordeal Post Op. I Was Miserable And Could Hardly Speak. The Surgery Effected My Vocal Chords.
My health is still a struggle, even after all these years. But in all this time, I’ve also had incredible and wonderful things happen that I’m extremely grateful for.
Here I Am (Center) With My Husband (Left) And Son (Right). We Have A Silly Accessories Filter On. This Was Taken At A Local Art And Music Festival.
Spending time with my family and creating art are at the top of my list of things I’m thankful for.
I’ve won awards for my art and photography. I’ve gotten to paint a mural, curated an exhibition that I participated in with a great group of art friends, I stream live while I paint, and so many more fantastic things, in spite of my health and childhood and medical trauma.
Here’s The Give Love Project And Exhibition I Curated And Participated In With A Great Group Of Art Friends. (My Piece Is Pictured Center)
It has been a tough journey, but I’m glad I could be on it. I’m still here and made a YouTube video to prove it!
I lost my mom and my dog this year, within months of each other. And as hard as it’s been, I’m blessed to have gotten to share my life with them. They blessed me with their love and support. I miss them every single day. I hope they can see me and are cheering me on.
Here’s A Glamour Shot Of My Beautiful Momma! I Miss You, Mom And Love You Bunches!Here’s My Beautiful Buddy (A Lab Heeler Mix) Who I Lost Two Months Before Losing My Mom. I Miss Him So Much. Here’s A Photo I Recently Took Of Myself On One Of My Jaunts To Paint In The Park (I Stream It Live On TikTok, Designs By Misty Blue)
If you’ve ever experienced anything similar, please feel free to share in the comments.
Thank you for reading my blog and for supporting me. To learn more about me, visit my LinkTree.
Copyrights & Reproduction Rights Belong Solely To Misty R. Lemons/Designs By Misty Blue Do Not Copy
I’m putting together a proposal for a gallery exhibition. I have art pieces in mind. Some need to be framed (paintings and drawings) and others will need to be printed onto canvas and framed (digital art). I’m calling my exhibit, “A Light In The Dark”.
The theme for my exhibition is my journey through generational trauma and how art has been a major coping mechanism and driving force in my healing, throughout my life.
I want to incorporate pieces from my childhood and teenage years, as well as work from my adulthood.
Here, I am standing in the beautiful gallery space I want my exhibition to be in
Art is an extremely pure form of expression, in my opinion. It helps the artist express and work through buried thoughts and emotions. It’s also a form of meditation and living in the moment, when you’re creating. Which, in turn helps with anxiety and depression.
As I’m Working To Put This Exhibition Proposal Together, I Made A Video Talking About What Motivated Me To Do So, Please Watch
Putting this together, on my own, will be an expensive undertaking. But I need to be fully prepared and ready to go, should my proposal be accepted. I want to put forth a fully fleshed out exhibition, before I approach the gallery. The gallery is more like a museum setting, so the pieces will not be shown for purchase. I will not be making money from this.
I’ve set up a Kofi Fundraiser to help offset costs. If you feel inspired to help me make this exhibition a reality, it is greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Copyrights: Misty R. Lemons/Designs By Misty Blue Do Not Copy
Painting in the park has been the biggest improvement to my life. The fresh air, the change of scenery, the sunshine… All of it has done wonders for my mental health and it has been so helpful to my trauma healing journey and with grieving my mother who passed in August.
Holding one of my watercolor paintings I created in the park
If this is your first time reading my blog, let me introduce myself. My name is Misty. I’m a visual artist from Texas. I have been on a childhood trauma healing journey for over a year now. I also suffer from chronic illnesses, such as psoriatic arthritis, macular degeneration, and hypothyroidism. I’m a hot mess, but I’m doing my best to enjoy life and create as much art as I can.
I started going to the park a little over a month ago. I’ve been going one to two times a week and spend a couple hours there at a time.
Here I am laying on my mom’s blanket next to a pumpkin I painted
I take a blanket my mom had, so I feel close to her. She was a big fan of my art and always cheered me on. I miss her so much.
When I first started going to the park, I was so anxious and sad, but now I feel most like myself there. I’m not looking forward to cold weather because it’ll keep me indoors, but until then, I’m going to enjoy it as much as I can!
Holding a macaw parrot painting I did
Every time, I paint in the park, I paint live on TikTok. I get to chat with people all over the world. I love it! It’s so fun! I hope you’ll join the live next time I’m there!
Misty Blue Arts 