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Theresa was 45 years old when her younger sister died of breast cancer at 42. During their last conversation, Theresa promised to start living her life differently. It had become painfully clear that life is too short and she needed to do what her spirit was telling her to do. For Theresa, that was art. She had put it aside to raise her son, but soon after her promise she started Studio 1 Artworks inside a little home which she painted pink in honor of her sister. There, she created and taught art. She also taught art history at a local college, started a nonprofit to promote local artists, and got involved in many other charities and nonprofits in her community. She said she was cruising along, feeling fine, when suddenly at 70 she was diagnosed with breast cancer herself. She again was reminded how short life is. Her first thought was her son. And her next thought was her art. She felt she had too much left to do, so much more art to share, and that she did not have time for a cancer diagnosis. With her own diagnosis she thought, "You can’t leave this earth if you don’t do your art.” So while she battled cancer, she sketched every morning. That was in 2014. Today, she still receives checkups but she’s cancer-free. And she's created four paintings just this week.
