In May, I set on a journey to address my physical health condition. I started on a new health plan and so far, I’ve lost 50 pounds and am still counting. In the midst of this, I found myself working on things emotionally and spiritually as I realized they go hand in hand. As I progressed in my journey, I decided to create a visual representation of the new me I was becoming. I was given a mannequin bodice and created a 3-D glass mosaic to symbolize the various aspects which affect my personal transformation.

I chose the image of a butterfly, as this creature is best known for symbolizing change. From there, I started to apply glass in the upper right quadrant of its wings gluing a heart with a rainbow over it to illustrate the promises of God over my life. From there, I worked on the lower right quadrant of the butterfly and created streams of water like John 7 talks about flowing from my belly. To me, this was about having the word of God inside of me and that I would overflow. I created an open Bible with a cross above it in the water to represent how God’s word is part of what helps transform me.

In the upper left quadrant of the butterfly’s wing, I created a large angel, which symbolized help from heaven and the importance of spiritual guidance in the process of change. In the lower left wing, I applied a lot of glass to create a garden of flowers, which expresses the need for community in order for personal growth to take place. On the back, I created another butterfly, which contain multiple smaller butterflies inside. These smaller butterflies represent those who will follow after me, those whose lives are impacted by mine. In a way, they represent spiritual heritage and legacy.

The sun is portrayed on the top of the neck and represents God as the Head. He is above all and the Source of my transformation. I chose a deep blue for the shoulders as this part of the body represents our authority and for me blue is a color of revelation. I’m declaring I want to walk in the revelation of God with His wisdom and carry the weight of His glory and authority on earth. There is also a sunrise in the chest area that represents the dawning of a new day. It represents how I feel about not only my physical body being transformed, but my emotional and spiritual self as well.

I’m pleased with how this piece came out. It’s taken countless hours, probably 100+, but like any successful journey, it was worth the work required. I’m grateful for all those who supported me in this process and most especially, I thank God for the work He’s done in me.