I Am

by Lidia Slominski

I am a mother, a wife, a daughter,

Devoted to my Family.

I am a speck of dust in the immensity

of

the Universe.

I am an artist, a writer,

an Army professional, loyal to my country.

I am a name on an endless list.

I am All, and Nothing.

I Am.

As an artist, I am self-taught. Art is my way to express my views of the world around me without using words. I always loved taking photos; I feel inspired every time I look around, whether alone, with my family or at work, by anything and everything.  I create stories around the photographs that I take. I look at them as life scenes and use them as inspiration for my paintings. When I create photograph series, I sometimes tell the story in a poem. My first painting was inspired by my professional mentor calling me a “tall poppy “and by childhood memories. Creating my first painting inspired a series of photographs that feature poppies. 

As far as showcasing my work, I usually give my photographs or paintings as gifts to friends, as a memento of a memory we share. However, I have participated in a few events where I sold my art or raised funding for events. Most recently, I was the featured artist of May 2023 at the Darbytown Art Studio in Fredericksburg. I also earned awards and various photography group recognitions, such as Top Image of the Month with the NOVA Macro/Nature Photography VA – DC – MD, January 2021 (run by Lori Lankford), Second Place, two Honorable Mentions and a Merit Award at the 2022 Annual Fredericksburg Photography Show, and most recently Second Place at the NVPS intermediate Color Monthly Competition of April 2024 (I joined NVPS in March 2024).

The Window

By Lidia Slominski

A dark gloomy room, 

Paint peeling off the walls.

Open doors, of closets and cabinets.

Empty now…Bearing memories of things,

And the people that the things belonged to.

A dirty, worn-out rug across the floor,

With stains of times past, and a musty odor.

An empty, abandoned room.

In an empty, abandoned building.

Cold and dark. A sanitarium, more precisely.

Suddenly, I feel the burden.

A burden of many, that now becomes mine…

Overwhelming and distant at the same time.

And then, I see the light seeping through.

Coming through a window,

That seems blocked by a brick wall.

As I walk past the door, the light becomes brighter. 

The brick wall is fading, and my soul feels lighter.

A feeling of hope has taken over.

And I can go on…