“I am not the illness. I am a person first.” ‘I control what I create . . .’ Says Shanali. Inspired by life rhythm and flow, her canvases were an outlet to transform her lived experience into a more meaningful way of living as she shifted roles from clinician to patient to becoming a person again. Guided by the sheer emotion she feels, she uses art as a self-inquiry to capture her invisible space within, making it visible to others. “Embodiment of emotion conceptualized in art. I question. I examine. I reveal. The space within. Looking inwards is good for the soul. My art moves to capture my headspace and re-colour my ‘Life-scape’ embracing the imperfect to bring my inside out”. This book shares her artwork, thoughts, ideas and experiences centred around exploring art, illness, identity and the human factor. Through her art, she continues to search for a deep understanding of the dynamics between illness, identity, connection, and communication. These influences make up the essential elements of composition and symbolism that constitute her work. She navigates the concept of creating dialogic canvases to spark conversation, provoke thought around identity and illness. Her abstract expressions of ‘the embodied invisible’ raise awareness, reduce stigma and stereotyping, offer solutions to health challenges, and help understand pain, illness visually. She hopes her digital canvases connects with you and help to bridge the gap between the biomedical focus of disease and the human focus of illness. As well as showing you how art can be used as a tool for self-management of long-term illnesses. She uses the digital medium to create intense personal moments by objectifying emotions. It opens a dialogue with herself. Revealing a deeper understanding of herself. Empowering her. She hopes this dialogue continues with you, the reader. She hopes she gets you to pause, taking a moment to feel. Connect. See beyond what meets the eye. Gravitate towards the inner you. “Be Inspired. Be moved.” Shanali Perera is a contemporary artist, educator, and retired clinician, living with the rare illness Vasculitis.