Healing Through Art After Domestic Violence By Nu Moon

As we approach the end of October of 2025, I would like to touch on a sensitive yet overlooked topic: Domestic Violence.

Domestic violence is something no one ever imagines themselves experiencing — yet it happens far too often, and usually in silence. I know this truth intimately because I am a domestic violence survivor.

Escaping an abusive situation can feel terrifying, confusing, and deeply lonely. Sometimes there’s shame, guilt, or fear of not being believed. Sometimes we stay silent just to survive. Abuse doesn’t only harm the body — it bruises the soul and steals your sense of safety.

But what I want you to know is this: healing is absolutely possible. You can rebuild, you can rediscover yourself, and you can feel joy again. My personal journey of healing began when I returned to something that had always brought me peace — art.

Through painting and creative expression, I began to release the pain I could not speak aloud. Every brushstroke became a prayer, every color a step toward freedom. Art became my saving grace, a gentle way to reclaim my power and reconnect with the parts of myself that trauma tried to erase.

Below are five gentle ways to begin finding your way back to yourself if you are in or healing from an abusive relationship:

1. 🌕 Acknowledge That What’s Happening Is Not Your Fault

Abuse thrives on silence and self-blame. Please know that you are not responsible for someone else’s cruelty. Simply recognizing that truth is a powerful act of self-liberation.

2. 🌗 Create a Safety Plan

If you are still in the situation, make a plan for when you feel unsafe.

• Keep copies of essential documents in a safe, hidden place.

• Identify safe people and spaces you can reach out to.

• Save important phone numbers — like the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233) — where you can access them quickly.

You deserve safety. You deserve peace.

3. 🌘 Reach Out for Support — Without Shame

Healing begins in community. Find someone you can trust — a counselor, friend, or local advocate — who will listen without judgment. Vulnerability does not make you weak; it is one of the most courageous acts of survival.

4. 🌑 Honor Your Emotions

Healing is not a straight line. There may be days when you feel angry, numb, or sad. That’s okay. You are processing what once felt impossible to face. Let yourself feel — your emotions are valid and worthy of space.

5. 🌒 Use Creativity as a Path to Healing

For me, art became my sanctuary. Painting, journaling, and crafting allowed me to transform pain into purpose. Creativity can be a safe container to express emotions that words cannot hold.

Whether through painting, poetry, or movement — give yourself permission to create without perfection, to let your soul speak freely.

🌕 From Survival to Self-Renewal

Through my healing journey, I birthed Nu Moon Creations, a space dedicated to helping others transform pain into purpose through therapeutic art and healing practices.

If you are seeking a gentle space to begin your healing, you are welcome to join one of our Therapeutic Art Workshops or virtual healing circles. Here, you will find safety, community, and creative freedom — no judgment, only compassion.

🌙 Reflection Exercise: “The Light Within”

Find a quiet space. Take a deep breath.

Gaze softly at a blank sheet of paper or canvas and ask yourself:

“What do I need to release to make room for peace?”

Let your hand move freely — draw, paint, or write whatever comes.

There is no wrong way to create. This moment is for you.

To anyone reading this who feels trapped, afraid, or unseen — please remember:

You are not alone.

You are not broken.

And you are more powerful than you realize.

From one survivor to another — your story is not over. This is your new moon — your chance to rise, to heal, and to begin again.

10/30/25