"The Camino" Notebook

Inspiration: Maureen Bardusk

Artist: Kenny Lapins

Maureen's Twist on Cancer: A cancer diagnosis didn’t stop me in my tracks, but sent me in a different direction. It involved moving back to Chicago for treatment, leaving friends and studio behind. It meant navigating a new world, educating myself about triple negative breast cancer and finding a manageable way to engage my creative spirit by “taking my camera for a walk,” bringing a curious eye to small things. This I still do.

I found a compatible community at Gilda’s Club Chicago, and I learned to listen with great attention when friends were diagnosed or dealing with hard health issues. Most recently, I’ve been a presence for my brother and a care partner for my husband.

My twist is to apply good birding techniques to life situations:

Open the door, step outside, walk quietly, stop and take a long look, listen, and turn around to capture a different view. It can bring an unexpectedly beautiful moment of surprise.

Kenny's Artist Statement: Maureen is the embodiment of the word "inspiration." Her heroic story of perseverance in the face of compounding adversity is so moving. Our painting, "The Camino," helps to tell this story. It represents her journey both figuratively and literally, as the reference photo she shared with me was taken during her wellness pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago, a 500-mile hike through a network of medieval paths that lead to the tomb of Saint James in the Cathedral of Santiago in Northern Spain. The village in the background represents the distance and isolation we all feel when battling cancer ourselves and caring for loved ones battling it. And yet, the beauty of nature can be seen all around us if we just take a moment to look, even in the midst of a personal tragedy. I am honored to continue my relationship with Twist Out Cancer and the Brushes with Cancer program and so grateful that I get to meet extraordinary people like Maureen and call them friends.

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