Imagination is a portal to the divine.

When I really ask myself what is and has been most important to me in this life-it is my imagination. Leading this life with curiosity, love and an open mind. That has opened more in me than I could ever put into words.

There is so much pain and darkness in this reality and it can become overwhelmingly easy to focus on and be consumed by, especially if you’re a sensitive soul.

Sure I can use my imagination to create and grow darkness, and TRUST ME I HAVE!!! But there are also infinite pools of light within this glowing vessel that we are meant to tap into and bring to life to share with humanity. And the possibilities are quite literally infinite.

I know there is a reason why so many geniuses talked about imagination being our most powerful and sacred tool.

Today I want to talk about why my imagination is so sacred to me and therefor-why my art is so sacred to me.

To put it in one sentence, it is because my imagination has saved my life many times. I have been face to face with a lot of darkness in my life and so have the ones I love most.

A few years ago I was in the darkest part of my journey-some people call it the dark night of the soul-I say I’ve had too many of those to count. It was more like the dark decade of my soul.

I truly felt lost and trapped, scared and alone, anxious and paranoid. Days and nights blended together and I felt so confused and sad every moment of every day. All of my thoughts were dark even though I tried so hard to see the light. I felt so out of control of my own thoughts and out of touch with my own reality.

Because I was consumed by so much darkness, I got to a breaking point where I couldn’t take anymore. I completely shut down and in that surrender, I remembered the kingdom of God that lies within myself. I remembered my connection to God and to my guardian angel. To the divine. I remembered my reason for coming to this Earth. I let go of everything that was not me, and what was left was my one true self.

In my darkest hour, I became aware of my light and the powerful force that I was. I became aware that the darkness I was currently moving through was only an initiation into the most beautiful part of my journey and that I would not be able to honor and cherish this new brilliant chapter I was stepping into without walking through the fire to get there.

I have always loved angels and always felt connected to them.

When I was about 27-my guardian angel appeared at the foot of my bed. I knew instantly that all of my life experiences were leading me to this moment. The most radiant and expansive golden-white light female figure hovered over me and I knew her to be my guardian angel. I was filled with a love and remembrance of who this being was and their sacred role in my life. I instantly knew that I loved this angel beyond words and that the love was reciprocated infinitely. She radiated the essence of pure love for me as a soul. I knew she had always been with me but that from this point forward-I would be aware of that truth and that I would never be the same because of it.

I have not seen my guardian angel in physical form since that morning but I have not needed to. I was aware of how much energy it took her to show herself to me that way, and after seeing her once-it was all I needed to confirm the truth of her never ending loving presence in my life.

I think my angel chose this time to show herself to me so that when the dark times ahead would eventually come, I would not give up hope in a higher power and the divine plan for my life.

A few months after seeing my guardian angel, I became pregnant with my youngest daughter. During this time I became so connected to my inner child and I decided to write a poem about my guardian angel. I had loved to write poetry as a child but had forgotten about this gift until now. It came through me so fast and I knew that my guardian angel was the one helping me to bring this story to life.

So back to my darkest hour…. I just wanted to feel okay so I surrendered to God and the advice I received was to draw and write poems about angels. To me, angels were a symbol of hope that brighter days were ahead. That all the darkness I was experiencing wasn’t permanent and had a bigger meaning in my life than I currently was aware of and that someday I’d know why and may even be able to hold space for someone else moving through their pain and suffering.

I learned that I loved to create art that came from my inner child. I’d write positive and hopeful little sayings on my drawings that said things like “You are safe to be you.” I did this because I needed to hear these words myself, but I also became aware that this art I was creating wasn’t going to be for me and me alone.

I started to get good! I started to feel good. I STARTED TO CHANGE MY REALITY TO MATCH MY MOST SACRED DESIRES and that began to resonate with others who were at different places in their own healing journeys.

I am at the place now (3 years later) where this art is beginning to make all of my dreams come true. I’m learning who I truly am and what means the most to me. I’ve failed and succeeded in ways that have made me more embodied to my own truth and the light of the divine. I’ve grown in light and had the incredible experience of sharing that light with others. Of connecting to others-SO MANY OTHERS-connecting to their truth and the light they possess.

I found my purpose in this life and now with that-my dream life is unfolding in front of me.

The darkness within feels so small now in comparison to the light I have created.

Honestly, I feel like my darkness is inspired by me. Haha!

I do not have all the answers. I still have anxiety and dark days but I wake up happy and excited to learn, grow and connect with my people.

This gift I have unlocked within myself that was given to me by God-has proven to me that we are all one and we are here to love each other, to hold each other up and to remind each other that love is the only thing that is real.

Whether this day brings me to connecting to millions of people, a small intimate group of souls, or simply brings me closer to myself-I feel like I’m finding my family and the love grows so much every single day that all I can feel is gratitude. Gratitude for how hard I fought to get my sparkle back, and all the love, support and sacred connections I’ve cultivated through that love.

I just wanted to end by saying that if you are in that place-that dark, dark place-then I see you and I love you and this is good. The darkness is where we remember the light.

Thanks for reading!

Love & Gratitude,

Cady Ray