A Healing

Oil on Canvas

36 x 24 inches

2019

In September 2017, Mali was diagnosed with HER-2 positive breast cancer, during her treatment, images associated with her cancer and treatment came into her subconscious. She painted her three paintings she called her Cancer Journey Series related to how she felt about her treatment. The process of creating personal images through the expressive arts helped Mali to process her feelings and help her to heal. She hopes that when women look at her pictures, they will feel uplifted and optimistic.

Mali Schwartz has been a Florida resident for the past twelve years and lives in Miami Beach. She has taken painting lessons for over eighteen years. She has always been interested in the creative arts and she has slowly gained in skill and self-confidence. She curated her first Art Exhibition in 2020 during Breast Cancer Awareness Month and feels passionate about women having a platform to share their personal expression related to healing from cancer. She calls herself a social artist and she feels that undergoing breast cancer has encouraged her to focus on sharing a message that comes from her own struggle with her protocol, especially chemotherapy. Mali continues to paint new pieces and is always thinking of new ways to express her emotions through her art. She hopes that when people look at her art that they feel moved.

A Healing

Mali Schwartz

My picture conveys a universal message that G-d will hear our prayers and heal us from our pain.  

When I was told that I had a 90% chance of a 5-year life expectancy after my chemotherapy was over, I was initially thrilled.  After all that left a 10% chance of me dying from cancer – a very good rate of return!   But then I started think about what true healing means – is it only a manifestation of your physical health during a specific time and place, or could it mean more.  Something deeper.  

I learned that healing is all about the spirit, whereas curing is everything about the physical.  I wondered if a person could change their spiritual DNA after going through a harrowing experience– some people call it the dark night of the soul.  For me, my cancer represented that dark night, a journey that included immense upheaval.  

I know that after having gone through some grueling treatments, I have a zest for life that I have never experienced before.

I felt a level of gratitude as if a heavy weight had been lifted off my shoulders.  G-d put a stumbling block in my way and then it was removed.  I am blessed to be able to enjoy my children and grandchildren and watch them take their own journeys through life.