There is no map to recovering from aggressive treatments and I found myself on an erratic path of ups and downs, but throughout this journey, I have discovered pearls of wisdom. Pockets of post-traumatic growth in deep and shallow waters.

Mariève Bonin has always been an art bug. She thought she had found her ultimate creative outlet when she started perfecting her COGnitive Creations in the form of mixed media jewellery, which she crafted and sold online for over a decade. Diagnosed with an aggressive breast cancer at the age of 37, treatments turned her world upside down and left her with painful neuropathy that prevented her from manipulating the tools she needed to practice her craft. After months of exploration trying to regain her bearings, she decided to join expressive arts classes with CancerCare Manitoba and Wellspring Calgary and found colours literally coming back into her life.