An inspirational story of the healing power of music, creativity, following your dreams and finding your true purpose.
What can we do when we struggle with an illness that doesn't go away?
An inspirational story of the healing power of music, creativity, following your dreams and finding your true purpose.
In 2008, singer-songwriter Lisa Sniderman was living the dream in California. As Aoede, the Muse of Song, her star as a gifted recording artist was rising fast. Lisa’s quirky folk-pop performance style electrified audiences up and down the West Coast, and the albums just kept flowing. But just when her career was rocketing skyward, a health crisis brought all of her dreams crashing to the ground. Diagnosed with a rare, debilitating immune disorder called dermatomyositis (DM), Lisa struggled to maintain a normal life with a body in revolt and, eventually, to accept a new normal. Living with a chronic illness challenged Lisa to see DM as a gift in disguise that has opened the door to new dreams, new songs, and new opportunities. Lisa’s story is for you if you seek strength, new inspiration, hope, joy, healing, and if you or someone you love struggle with a chronic illness, disability, or unexpected life events. Her insights and reflections on her journey inspire hope and the courage to keep dreaming and living to the fullest no matter what life hurls at you.
EXCERPT
"Of all the ways I put myself out there, sharing my personal struggles is perhaps the most daunting. At times, especially because I’m almost always home, I feel like I’m hiding from the world, playing it safe indoors. Maybe that’s why I create light characters, focus on fantasy, and want to connect with my inner child. As I’ve taken on Aoede the Muse’s identity, inspiring others, I’m disinclined to share the scary, icky, fearful, sad, negative feelings—the secret spaces where I’ve stuffed my skeletons. I tell myself I have to put on a smile and be upbeat, not show weakness or have self-doubt. It’s much easier to tell the world that all is beautiful than to admit that living with a chronic illness is harder than anything I’ve ever faced; that some days it’s exhausting to get out of bed, despite my positive attitude and optimism; that I get tired of thinking and talking about being sick, and just plain being sick; that the endless therapies, drug cocktails, and unwanted side effects keep me on a roller coaster; that I resent having precious moments of my life replaced with 156 doctors’ appointments; that I wish I had more stamina for being in the world; that I wonder where David’s and my relationship would be had I never gotten sick—if he didn’t have to do all the shopping, cleaning, cooking, and driving, and we had an equal partnership instead of a caretaker-patient relationship. This is the stuff I used to keep to myself, choosing instead to share the positive accomplishments, the milestones, and the fulfillment of dreams I’ve decided others want to hear about.”
About the author:
Lisa Sniderman, aka Aoede, is an award-winning, quirky, folk-pop artist, playwright, filmmaker, and author from San Francisco who creates to heal. She creates and records unique, original full-length fantasy musicals on audiobooks that she adapts to musical theater stage plays. She’s been honored with more than 80 awards for songwriting, audiobooks, films, stage plays and books since 2012 all while suffering from a rare autoimmune disease: dermatomyositis, a progressive muscle weakness disease. Lisa’s mission is to be a light and a muse by inspiring, engaging, empowering, connecting with, encouraging, and supporting young adults and kids at heart of all ages, challenges, and abilities through original art and music. She fosters healing by “giving your creative spirit wings and inspiring you to share your story.”
Lisa’s new memoir, A Light in the Darkness: Transcending Chronic Illness through the Power of Art and Attitude, chronicles 10 years living with chronic illness while creating to heal. Through confessions and life lessons, Lisa offers support, compassion, strength, connection, encouragement, motivation, and hope-a light in the darkness-to those battling chronic illness, disability and unexpected life challenges.
Lisa founded an online community of artists creating to heal and collaborated with more than 50 artists who are also creating to heal, culminating in an online video showcase and live multi-media performances in December 2018.
Sounds great, I like the cover.
ReplyDeletethank you so much for sharing about my book and give-away! Susan-thank you-it was inspired by a painting..
ReplyDelete♥ Aoede ♪♫
Beautiful cover! Reminds me of spending time by the ocean!
ReplyDeleteLooks good.
ReplyDelete