Painting this mural near Bridgepoint Hospital was an absolute joy. So many people stopped to talk with me, and a lot of them asked me what the inspiration was behind the design. Before I answered anybody, I asked them all if they would first share with me what they saw in it. Here are some of the things they said: - Mother Nature - A grandmother sharing her heart - Sacred heart  - Vulnerability and giving - Adrienne Clarkson!? - Beauty! - And one person was reminded of Christi Belcourt’s incredible painting The Wisdom of the Universe, which, yeah, she’s a huge influence, I love her work so much. So what was my inspiration? Well, I was actually coming at this from a place of heartbreak. That’s why she’s all grey. She represents the times when you feel lost. The world is full of war and injustice, and you don’t feel like you have anything to give, just a heart full of big feelings. So my proposal with this piece is that… maybe that’s enough. Maybe giving your heart is enough for it to bloom and plant seeds that can still grow into beauty in the world. That’s my hope anyway. Painting in public is my favourite thing to do and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to work with StreetARToronto and the Outside the Box program. If you have a boring wall or fence or mailbox that you’d like to bring to life, check out some of my other work, and let’s talk about turning it into art for your neighbourhood! Photos by Sarah Imrisek, Chrissy Kuiack, and Alexei Malakhov