The Inner Calm After The Storm

The Inner World, Acrylics on canvas, October 2023, POA

About the Painting

The Inner World is an intimate exploration of emotional honesty and the hidden cost of appearing composed. The work asks a simple question: What do we lose when we try to make ourselves easier to digest?

This is the first canvas I’ve ever had professionally framed, marking a personal milestone and the beginning of my professional journey as an artist.

The Three Stages of Finality

The painting was created in three distinct layers, named after the familiar habit of saving files as “Final v1,” “Final v2,” and “Final v3.” Each layer represents a different stage of emotional processing - a psychological snapshot of how we edit ourselves before showing our true selves to the world.

• Final v1 - The Unedited Truth

The first layer came to life quickly and by hand - messy, instinctive, and full of feeling. It was my way of working through a difficult emotional season, capturing that raw honesty before everything gets softened and “edited.”

• Final v2 - The Intervention

My husband’s slightly alarmed “are you okay?” was probably justified! After letting out all that raw emotion, I started reaching for brighter, lighter colours - still intuitive, but a little more structured and considered. The piece softened and found its balance - a bit of calm after the storm, helped along by love and laughter.

• Final v3 - The Presentable Self

The final visible layer is the one we’re most comfortable sharing - calm, composed, and seemingly complete. It’s the polished version of ourselves, shaped to fit the world, though the stillness on top exists only because of the chaos it grew from.

A Glimpse Beneath the Surface

Before painting over each stage, I photographed the canvas using only my phone - no lighting setup, no editing. These spontaneous captures became archival prints that reveal the hidden emotional layers underneath the final work. They are not reproductions but visual records of transformation - raw evidence of process and vulnerability.

The Unvarnished Truth

The finished canvas is intentionally left unvarnished to reflect that healing and self-discovery are never truly complete. The open surface remains alive, unprotected, and honest - just like the emotions that inspired it.

Through The Inner Calm After The Storm, I wanted to explore what happens when we stop polishing our inner lives for public display - when we allow others to see not only the final image, but the layers beneath.

The lesson? Peace and inner calm doesn’t come from perfection, but from allowing ourselves to unravel, rebuild, and keep going - one layer at a time.