In 1993 it was suspected that I had contracted HIV. I refused to accept the diagnosis and my blood tests remained inconclusive. I eventually began to hear voices giving me instructions to read Louise Hay on “dis-ease of consciousness” and dying, and soon afterwards I was dictated symbols and texts through automatic writing. At the bookstore books literally fell out of the shelves as I passed by. One day “the Voice” interrogated me gently as to why I feared AIDS. I was told that I need not die of AIDS, and that death is simply another phase of eternal existence. Furthermore, I was told that I had agreed pre-incarnation to learn certain skills and lessons that required a traumatic diagnosis… and that if it were not AIDS then it would be something similar. I had apparently chosen AIDS because it was one of the Great Teachers of my time on Earth in this incarnation. I continued to resist until one day I joked “Okay, but we are going to have some serious talks when I return to the Afterlife.” Haha. The blood tests then finally confirmed the diagnosis and I was informed that there was no cure, and that I had ten years to live at most. The voice then began giving me more instructions. I was told to go into town (I lived in a log cabin in the woods far from Oslo) and purchase painting supplies and equipment. I balked but did it. Then the voice began teaching me how to paint. At first, I did not even know how to hold the paintbrush, lol. I was guided to paint several symbolic naive paintings, and one day I was told that it was time to have my first gallery exhibition. I said: “No! That is nuts.” Again I ended up going into town with snapshots of my paintings. I was led to an unknown to me art gallery whose owner was a shaman. I told him my story, and that I was sent there to have a World AIDS Day art exhibition. I felt like a fool but he responded affirmatively and I thus presented him with the detailed information I had channeled through automatic writing: with all the practicalities needed to make the show a success. And a success it was! I was interviewed on TV, and there was coverage of the show’s opening on five different television channels. Over 300 persons were at the vernissage and Norway’s World AIDS Day art exhibition became an annual event which I sponsored for many years. At the same time, I was launched into politics as Norway’s first publicly open AIDS activist with an immigrant background. I had been thrown out of the operating room at the hospital because I had HIV, and my employer (the City of Oslo) tried to fire me for the same reason. I became an instant celebrity. That started my international AIDS activist career. But back to painting: I continued to paint under the tutelage of my Guides, and I am still living with the virus — but not dying from it. I told this story on a TV program here in Norway about twenty years ago, and recounted how I could simply ask for painting help and it would be given instantly. I told of one day when an American friend had visited me while I was working on a huge canvas while we were talking. Suddenly she stopped talking and her mouth and eyes were wide open in disbelief: I was quickly doing automatic painting while facing her and not looking at the canvas. The TV station had contacted her and others to verify my story, and the TV audience was polled: “Do you believe this story, or not!??” The majority of the audience was convinced that my story was real.
I have practiced many religions and studied various forms of mysticism (from Kabbalah to Sufism). I support spirituality, but not organized religions, because of the damage they do to people and the lies. But I do occasionally go to church to support individuals’ search for divinity within themselves. Years ago, I led several spiritual groups in New York, including two witches’ covens. I’ve always been psychic and prone to visions and channeling spirits/personalities. And many have used me to help rid their homes of ghosts and unwanted remnants of the dead. I’m a ghostbuster.
From AI:
Several artists have created their most impactful work while grappling with illness, demonstrating how adversity can fuel creativity. For example, Frida Kahlo channeled her physical pain and emotional turmoil into powerful self-portraits. Similarly, Vincent van Gogh produced a vast body of work, including masterpieces like “Starry Night,” while battling mental health challenges. Edvard Munch, known for “The Scream,” also experienced illness and used his art to explore themes of human suffering and isolation.
Here are some other artists who created while ill:
Martin Ramirez:A Mexican immigrant diagnosed with schizophrenia, he produced hundreds of drawings while living in a psychiatric hospital.
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec:Suffered from a genetic condition that impacted his mobility and used his art to depict Parisian nightlife.
Amedeo Modigliani:Known for his elongated portraits, he struggled with health issues throughout his life and career.
Francisco Goya:Faced with a mysterious illness that left him deaf and affected his health, he produced some of his most powerful works during this period, including his “Black Paintings”.
Louis Wain:His whimsical cat drawings became increasingly abstract and geometric as he experienced mental health challenges.
Adrian Hill:Credited as a pioneer of art therapy, Hill created much of his work while recovering from war injuries in a hospital.
Sam Francis:Apost-war abstract expressionist painter, he battled tuberculosis for much of his adult life and found inspiration in his physical struggles.
Henry Fraser:A mouth painter who became paralyzed after a rugby injury, his art is a testament to resilience.
Camille Claudel:A sculptor who experienced mental health issues and was institutionalized, she continued to create art during her confinement.
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