Step One, Step Two, and a Little Bit of Joy
Today was a big day for Dove Recovery Art—and for me, personally.
I finally launched the first two pieces in the collection: Step One and Step Two are now available as prints, canvas, ornaments, notebooks, greeting cards, and leggings. It’s surreal seeing these pieces—the ones that carried me through some of the darkest moments of my life—now out in the world, ready to connect with someone else.
These aren’t just images. They’re lived experiences.
Step One is about surrender—the moment you finally stop pretending you’re fine and admit you can’t do it alone.
Step Two is about willingness—the terrifying beauty of asking for help, even when you’re not sure what you believe in yet.
Getting these up took so much more than technical work. It took emotional work. It meant revisiting hard memories, owning my story, and translating pain into something visual and honest. And I finally got to say, “They’re ready.”
After that, I spent the evening grounding myself in some joy. Nicky and I went to the dog park, where she zoomed around in full chaos gremlin mode (standard), and later, I went out for sushi with a new friend. We went to a revolving sushi place—one of those with the conveyor belts—and it was simple, silly, and fun. Exactly what I needed.
Healing isn’t always about crying on the floor. Sometimes it’s about uploading a piece of your soul to the internet, then watching your dog roll in dirt, then laughing over too many specialty rolls.
Today reminded me that I can do hard things… and still laugh. I can hold space for my pain… and still make room for something new.
I can keep moving forward—one step at a time.
And that’s the whole point.
With Love,
Dana & Nicky
