The story behind Wings of Change

This drawing didn’t appear suddenly, it took a long time.

A few years ago, I was going through a difficult time in my life, and in September 2022 I decided to walk the pilgrimage route, the Camino de Santiago from Portugal to Spain. Before leaving for my trip, I had a strange dream. Two Monarch butterflies appeared, flying together so happily, and the image stayed with me.

A few days later, while walking the Camino, I had one of those days when everything felt heavy. It had been raining for hours. I was soaked, I was tired, and I kept wondering why I had decided to put myself through something like this. Then the rain stopped, and the sun came out. After the storm, everything became quiet and warm. As I was taking off my wet layers, a butterfly landed on a hydrangea bush right next to me.

And maybe you can already guess it: a Monarch butterfly. To this day, I still find it hard to believe that moment really happened.

Many months later, one night I woke up from my sleep with a word in my mind, so I wrote it down in my notebook: Mariposart.

At the time, I had no idea what it would become. I still had a long journey ahead of me. Years passed, and slowly the idea began to take shape. (But I will write another blog about this story.)

So my little butterfly, the Monarch, represents transformation for me. Because on that day, when we met, everything changed, I just didn’t know it yet. The Monarch became the main character of Wings of Change, a piece that is a self-portrait, surrounded by these beautiful creatures.

My hope is that Wings of Change can find its way to others, just like that little butterfly found its way to me on that mysterious day.

With love,
Monika
🦋