I'm grateful to have the opportunity to explore new hobbies while living in stroke recovery. My husband encouraged me to try everything and find what I enjoy that doesn’t trigger my head pain. One hobby I’ve embraced is painting, particularly upcycling pill bottles—an unfortunate waste from my recovery—into something beautiful.

I decided to paint scenes I’d like to see since traveling is no longer an option for me. It’s my way of exploring the world from the comfort of my studio. So far, I’ve painted Venice, the Aurora Borealis, a fall day at a lake, mountains, and now, a rainy city crosswalk. You can see them on recoveryupcycling.etsy.com.

A beginner’s course on LinkedIn taught me to see things in greater dimension. For example, instead of painting the sky around a tree’s branches, you paint the sky first and place the tree in front of it. It’s a simple technique, but it’s shifted how I view everything. Start with what I can’t see rather than what is closest and most clear.

In the same way, my sobriety program has taught me to see life with greater depth. Like an artist, I’ve learned to pause, sit quietly, and truly observe before reacting. By taking time to notice what’s behind the surface of what I see and hear, I’ve added a new dimension to my perspective—one that helps me let go of resentments, self-pity, and pride. Sobriety has given me a new way to learn about myself, simply by observing what’s around me.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts and YouTube.

Visit my Etsy shop, Recovery Upcycling. https://www.etsy.com/shop/RecoveryUpcycling

Visit me at ⁠⁠⁠recoverydailypodcast.com⁠⁠⁠ or email me at ⁠rachel@recoverydailypodcast.com⁠.

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