Defusing Depression with Fine Art America and Orange Euphoria

To say that Fine Art America saved me is no exaggeration. Perhaps it's art that truly saved me. In October 2014 in the wake of an extremely unpleasant situation, the universe hurled me toward my destiny and Fine Art America was a beacon for me on that journey.

I was introduced to the Fine Art America community in March of that year. Intrigued by the website, I created an account immediately. It slipped off my radar for various reasons within a few weeks, but I found my way back again by late October. After a brief period of exploring the work of other artists, I took the plunge and began uploading my work to my online portfolio to "test the waters". After observing how groups and contests work, on January 1, 2015, I created my flagship group, Orange Euphoria, a photography-only group for images that showcase the color orange. 

My reasons for creating the group and establishing its guidelines were personal. I made it a photography-only group as an homage to the creative medium that saw me through my formative years. As far as devoting a group solely to the color orange, there were a few reasons. Primarily, orange has been my favorite color since early childhood. The other reason is because of its healing qualities with regard to loss and grief. As discussed in a previous post, in late October 2014 I found myself dealing with the aftermath of violence. Refusing to be shattered by this event, I turned to art and the color orange for guidance. Barbara McMahon, an artist in nearby Ontario, Canada, was the first person to join Orange Euphoria, and she uploaded this stunning beauty:

Orange Glow by Barbara McMahon

Barbara's "Orange Glow" is a gorgeous image that perfectly embodies the essence of Orange Euphoria. It was an honor to have this as the inaugural photograph in the Orange Euphoria gallery.

At a time when it would have been easy to slip into depression and suffer from anxiety and devastation, I was immersed in and comforted by the beautiful expressions of orange as the group began to grow. Orange Euphoria has blossomed throughout 2015 and as group curator it has become an intrinsic part of my life. When I'm not capturing images with my camera or creating work in my makeshift art studio, I browse the beautiful work in the group's gallery. I continue to be inspired by the diverse talent of our members. With each visit, I am left smiling at the beautiful world we have created together. It is a testament to the power of art, which helped to light the way for me out of the darkness. 

Featured in this post: Orange Glow by Barbara McMahon 
Experience Orange Euphoria (more work can be seen by clicking on the "Images" tab)
All current artwork can be found in my profile at Fine Art America. Thank you for your time and your support.