I find refuge between blank canvases and blank pages. The refuge of an artist. The freedom to let the soul be. Acres and acres to be still, wild, and something more than words could ever define. A feeling liberating and true to not be bound but by the quiet voice within you, a guided spirit where the words not of your own flow and strokes of a higher power guide. The hand knows what to paint and what to write. We are but vessels, gourds filled with light to share with others.

Overcoming an aggressive and rare cancer battle with Ewing’s Sarcoma in 2021 through 2022 forever changed the course of my life. The amount of toxic poison this body has withstood is unfathomable.

I had 49 chemo treatments, each infusion lasted between 10-12 hours that was administered through a plastic device called a chemo port.

A chemo port connects to a catheter that leads into a large central vein, most commonly the Superior Vena Cava (SVC), which is a major vein near the heart, accessed via veins like the internal jugular or subclavian vein in the neck/chest, allowing for easy, long-term delivery of treatments and blood draws without repeated needle sticks.

The port  was surgically implanted on my right upper chest tissue, till this day I wear my severed cancer scars proudly.

Chemotherapy has direct origins in chemical warfare, specifically, mustard gas, a weapon from World War I, led to the discovery of nitrogen mustard, which was then developed into the first effective cancer chemotherapy drugs used during World War II to treat cancers like lymphoma and leukemia. Scientists noticed that mustard gas destroyed bone marrow and lymphatic cells, prompting research into its derivatives as anti-cancer agents. 

All of my organs were affected from aggressive treatment. My brain, heart, liver, eyes, ovaries, lymph nodes, blood, hair follicles, hormones, nerves, tissue, and bones were damaged. This treatment depleted my body of blood, often dependent on blessed strangers who donated blood to help keep this body alive.

With God, luck, prayers, family and fate I somehow made it out of this treatment. Not all of us have the fortune to.

I completed treatment in the summer of 2022. Some days I have trouble walking, I am chronically fatigued and juggle between adapting to this new lifestyle even years out of treatment. Some days I paint and draw from my bed because I simply do not have the strength to stand.

My paintings and writing reflect my life’s journey thus far. I am deeply inspired by my Trinidadian heritage. It is true, there is no place like home. Home is love. Home is Trinidad & Tobago. Trinidad has healed me in ways no other place in our world has. I spent the summer of 2025 grounding barefoot on my Grammy’s land. Sitting under the coconut trees, getting half eaten by ants, picking pomerac, mango, five-finger and lemongrass.

Green plants emit and reflect near infrared light (NIR) which is an invisible wavelength that penetrates skin, boosts cellular energy (ATP) via mitochondria, promote collagen production, reduces inflammation, enhances blood flow, and aids tissue repair, contributing to skin health, wound healing, and overall well-being. Surrender and allow nature to heal you.

Mango Dew, I published independently during my cancer treatment peaked at #1 in Caribbean and Latin American poetry in 2022 becoming an Amazon best seller.

I am currently working from my studio releasing a new body of works. I have listed the first two paintings in my shop.

I successfully participate in exhibitions worldwide, my works are presented in galleries and private collections in Europe, the United States, and the Caribbean.

Love, Health and Unity,

Amanda Lyons