I painted “Notes from the heart” last Valentine's Day, during a moment of reflection on love. Not just romantic love, but the love I share with my friends, my family, my environment and myself. Love is so much more than a feeling. It's a way of moving through the world. It's found in the smallest gestures, in kindness, in compassion, in the way we treat others and in the way we treat ourselves. Loving deeply isn't always easy. Having an open heart has brought me joy, but it has also brought me pain and lessons. But even through those experiences, love has always taught me something. It has taught me that I can remain soft without losing myself, that having an open heart doesn't mean having no boundaries, and that I can choose kindness without abandoning myself. I believe having a heart full of love is the most beautiful gift in life.