California Baptist University

Finding Purpose in chang e Former nurse describes her winding journey to art therapy O n the journey to happiness, change is inevitable. And sometimes, the road to our purpose is longer than would provide for my children.”

Her life as a nurse, while fulfilling, came to an abrupt stop 11 years later when she got into a car accident. With brain injuries and fibromyalgia that would cause chronic pain and fatigue, Kruger found she was no longer able to continue her nurse duties. This led her to reassess her life and perception of herself. “I realized I had developed my iden tity with my accomplishments of becom ing a nurse,” Kruger says. “So any value that I had in my life was because I had accomplished this job. I was drawing my value from my ability to find a solution or help others. It made it a true struggle of mine to realize that my value is because of who God made me and not because of the things I do.” So, in the process of healing, Kruger returned to her first love to find inspira tion: art. Putting aside her role as a care taker, she learned to rediscover herself as the subject of her life through each paint ing and sketch. “I feel like we have these God-given talents, but for me drawing and art has always been my escape ever since I was a kid,” Kruger says. “As a child, I got a lot of encouragement with my art, which I always appreciated. In comparison, when it came to caretaking, I was never told I was good at my job. I was just expected to get the job done. Art was something new and positive,” Kruger says. u

we could ever predict. This is certainly true for Misty Kruger, senior art therapy and graphic design double major, who found her passion for art after working for years as a nurse. Kruger’s journey begins as young child passionate about drawing when she moved in with her uncle, who was a Marine. Being the oldest child, she says she was responsible for her siblings and cousins at the military base while her uncle left on deployments. “Since my mom had to work and my aunt was in and out of the hospital, (life on the military base) made me step into a caregiver role,” Kruger says. “I learned tools to survive, such as how to evaluate the situation and figure out the dynamic. Also, I learned how to fly under the radar and not draw a lot of attention.” While her love of art never faded, her experience as a guardian taught her to view her purpose in relation to the needs of others, so when she grew up and had children of her own, art took a backseat to the immediate needs of her family. This outlook ultimately played a large role in her career decision to become a nurse. “Being a nurse came very naturally,” Kruger says. “Having to be so responsible as a child (helped) when it came (time) to have my own child — I took on those responsibilities of wanting a career that

PHOTOS Tonia Ross

WORDS Hannah Siefkes

DESIGN Hannah Lapos

41 Misty Kruger