Leaf on Face

“Leaf on Face” is a project I decided to start when I was pregnant and my baby bump was just starting to show. I had been listening to the audio book Magical Beginnings, Enchanted Lives by Deepak Chopra, which I never finished because it put me to sleep! However, one part of the book that I did listen to and appreciate was Deepak’s emphasis on the importance of tapping into your creative side when you are pregnant in order to enhance the experience for both mother and baby. I took that advice and created “Leaf on Face.”

“Leaf on Face” involved taking a photo every week starting with week 19, showing my profile and holding a leaf that I had painted in front of my face. There is no deep or secret meaning behind “Leaf on Face.” I liked the idea of covering my face so that the focus of the photo was the baby bump, not me. When I painted the leaf each week, I liked to think that the baby and I were painting it together. It was the first of many art projects that we would create together!

Pregnancy was also something I found to be quite scary. I didn’t feel ready to shout it from the rooftops or share my condition publicly on social media. I worried a lot. I really didn’t want to tell anyone until the baby was born–Safe, Alive, and Healthy. I didn’t quite get away with that wish, but I held off letting people know as long as I could. Instead of sharing my #babybump or #thismanyweekspregnant, I really enjoyed my quiet little project with just me and baby and my husband, who photographed it all. It was a kind of pregnant-lady art therapy for me as I was navigating many new emotions and fears. Now that our daughter is here, I can look back on my pregnancy so much more fondly, knowing that a happy and healthy baby was the end result. It is easier to appreciate that bump in hindsight, knowing that this giggly little girl with sparkling eyes was tucked inside my body all along, just waiting to meet us. 💜

*music by Violeta’s awesome dad – Tata Vanc (*tata=dad in Czech)