Lord Hanuman & the strength to overcome.

Ahoy mateys! This is the second painting I've ever done on cloth, and the story behind it is a bit of a bendy one. I started this painting over a year ago in an attempt to heal my broken spirit.

Why Hanuman you ask? Because he is the great Monkey King of Hindu mythology, the loyal devotee of Lord Rama.

As a child I was fortunate enough to attend a Hindu elementary school where I heard stories of the Hindu gods and their many great feats. "Ramleela" is a play that tells the story of Lord Rama and his wife Sita who is kidnapped by the Evil Ravan. Though I'd love to go into explicit detail of how this epic unfolds, I'll just leave a link to where you can find out more -

https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/ramlila-the-traditional-performance-of-the-ramayana-00110

Now, I'm no Hindu, but I've always found the entire play beyond enchanting, and the Monkey King himself holds a special place in my heart. In one of the acts Lord Hanuman was said to have lifted an entire mountain and carried it to the ailing Lakshmana, Lord Rama's brother. The mountain bore a special herb that was needed to save Lakshmana's life.

Thus Lord Hanuman became known for his strength and his unwavering determination to overcome any challenge. And with no reason other than I hoped to be even a fraction of the great monkey he was believed to be, I sat down and started painting.

And then I stopped...Self-doubt had set in and faced with bills and living expenses I put him down to pursue other avenues of revenue. And so Hanuman sat, just like that, for over a year.

Finally my husband snaps, "babe, you have to finish that painting, it's like a thorn in your side holding you back. Until he is finished you won't feel right sitting down to paint anything else" That was January this year.
And so I try again.
Things start picking up, I find my groove and then this shit happens -

The motherfuckin paint just bleeds all over the place and I cry and cry and contemplate throwing myself in traffic. X(
Tempting, very tempting, but with no guarantee that I'd actually die, I decide to push through.

By the end of February both monkeys in the equation are unrecognizable. The defeated, self-loathing, jerk had stepped aside and all that was left, was me, walking tall and absolutely thrilled that I didn't give up. I mean can you blame me? Look at this fucking guy!

Awwwwwwww! <3 Granted this wasn't the finished product, BUT! This is where things get spooky. My painting now 98% finished was about to step into the next stage of it's evolution, 'the sale'.

I went looking for potential buyers on facebook, and while I had 'no luck' there, I was lucky af to stumble across Steemit. Before I knew it I had signed up and during that week I waited for my account confirmation I comepleted the painting.

Then within hours of getting approved, I was entering my piece in the #stateofthearts March Art Madness contest. They say everything happens for a reason and I personally couldn't agree more.

Thank you for reading! Sorry it was kind of long. Till next time! PEACE!