Michael Hamers
For 40+ years, I worked as a technical illustrator for high-tech manufacturers, translating engineering into marketing. In 2009, I unexpectedly entered a “dark night of the soul”—a crisis that disrupted me financially, spiritually, and creatively. A 3-year depression followed.
The poetry of Rumi became an unexpected light in the fog and catalyst for renewal. Needing to find a way forward, I began a daily discipline of making fine art and poetry. I hoped these practices would rebalance my inner life—restoring joy, focus, and meaning. I dusted off my airbrushes and began painting watercolor by hand on paper, not digitally.
The depression lingered on. One night, in complete surrender, I prayed intensely for release. What followed felt like grace—a spontaneous lifting of the weight I could not do myself. The depression left, replaced by a profound sense of freedom.
This convergence of art & prayer ignited a creative renaissance I continue to thrive in today 13 years later.