Blank Canvas (Creating A New Life) is an inspirational documentary film that follows six women who use the medium of art to push through their struggles with substance abuse and recovery. According to the official website at www.blankcanvasmovie.com, the film promises a “transformational journey,” but one that is, “both tragic and triumphant.”
The six artists in recovery featured in Blank Canvas (Creating A New Life) come closer to understanding their sensitive characteristics, which pushed them into addiction, but also embrace the same emotional spirit to understand themselves as artists and work towards their recovery. According to the official synopsis, “We discover an inspirational community of artistic support that grows around six women.” It also hints that “not everyone survives.”
Blank Canvas (Creating A New Life) received acclaim at the Women’s Film Festival (San Francisco) when its director, Ashley Phelps, who is also in recovery, received the award of “Best Emerging Film Maker” for the documentary film. In the most courageous manner, Phelps not only decided to make this provocative film but also appears in it as one of the six artists in recovery whose interviews and artwork are featured.
We were lucky enough, recently, to have Ashley Phelps share her thoughts on Blank Canvas with us:
“I hoped to make a film that talked about addiction and recovery from a more personal angle, in order to counter the stigma associated with substance abuse. By relating the struggle to the human condition in a more general way, and talking about recovery through artistic creation, I hope to demystify the process and encourage those who are seeking help.”