Erika Hitchcock

The Story
We all know that life is ever-changing. For me, after 17 years of teaching, 28 years of marriage and raising two beautiful children, I thought I had a plan — but life decided otherwise.

In 2019, my life was filled with significant change resulting from tragic, unexpected personal loss. That year, I lost my beloved brother to mental illness and had a severe accident that left me stunned and in place of grief, doubt, and fear.

In the midst of my recovery, I was forced to reconsider my life as I had been living it, and I knew I had to make changes in order to heal. I took time to re-acquaint myself with the moments and experiences that brought me simple, unrefined joy. I turned to my art-making to find peace and inspiration, and suddenly, after a year filled with so much loss, I began to create, and I found hope.