Why I promote Robert Mertens Art...

By Alicia Lerrigo

It’s taken me a long time to get to where I am now - where I can honestly say I understand what healing feels like when it is happening in me. But this understanding only truly settled in me after many challenges that tested my ability to maintain wellbeing. It was when I became chair of a committee that represented my spiritual faith however, that I was really put to the test. I didn’t feel that I was receiving appreciation and respect from those who I was trying to help. While on that committee, I formed a special partnership with someone who was also on it, Robert Mertens.

Robert was the Regional Chairperson of the governing board of that committee. Robert has a very compassionate communication style and throughout this very difficult period on the committee, Robert mentored me to hold on to my own ability for compassion and self-respect. He would also attach lovely pictures to the bottom of his emails to me and to the committee. The one below was the first one I remember making an impact on me.

"Awakening The Dreamer" was the first picture of a string of many pictures that made an impact on me.

His pictures seemed to jump off the screen. When the committee emails became increasingly uncomfortable, the pictures were like visual therapy. Sadly, it seemed that someone was often being hurtful or uncaring in the committee communications, and I found myself often emotionally triggered. But the words in Robert's emails always had a tone of compassion, no matter how challenging the dynamic, and his pictures felt to me like a visual representation of that compassion.

I appreciated his style of communication and began to realize that he was on to something. It just feels better to be in a compassionate place. I would find myself looking at Robert’s pictures on my screen for quite some time as I allowed the uncomfortable feelings to dissipate and the inspiration the picture exuded to lift me.

As my focus began shifting away from committee work and toward starting a new wellness enterprise, Robert told me he would like his pictures to be shown in spaces that support healing.....and that’s how “Robert Mertens Art of Wellness” got started.