Stillness Between the Laughs

For Shane, art is a way through the noise. Living with complex PTSD, chronic depression, and visual and auditory hallucinations, she turns to creativity as a grounding force - a language beyond words. Inspired by her father and grandfather, Shane has explored mosaics, ceramics, painting, and mixed media. Yet it is on the canvas, with palette knife in hand, that she feels most alive.

Currently studying a Bachelor of Visual Arts at UniSQ, Shane’s practice investigates the stories and traditions that connect people across cultures. Through every piece she creates, she seeks to honour the quiet courage it takes to keep making art - even in the darkest moments.

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In 'Stillness Between the Laughs', the kookaburra rests quietly amid a storm of colour and movement—much like my own mind. Living with complex PTSD, depression, and hallucinations often feels chaotic, but moments of stillness offer clarity and grace. This bird, captured in pause, reminds me that even with mental noise, there is beauty in breath; in watching; in simply being. Creating this piece was both a release and a return to peace.