Suzanne Gibbs Art + SuzZine!

My Year of Separation: A collection of essays examining the impossible task of separation from self.

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My Year of Separation is a book containing a series of essays about the year the author moved out of her family home and lived on her own for the first time in 25 years. She successfully stayed married and connected fully to her children, friends, and family—while healing emotionally from the near death of her eldest son.

90 Pages, Limited Print Run. Publication Date: February 13, 2018.

Reviews

Questions to Ask Ourselves

A bold, impressive journey—the journey being the point.
Gibbs' longtime craving, a hiatus from others' needs and her own expectations, proved to be bumpy, courageous and raw. Deliberately exposing herself by her determination to journal through it, with candid honesty she revealed her extreme vulnerability, the strength to accept her own imperfections, and, perhaps the most difficult—to allow love in—of strangers, loved ones, and particularly of herself. She bravely stepped through her own looking glass. There's a saying floating around, nowadays: What others think about you is none of your business. This was a gift of one person's emergence. Kudos. —Nancy

Author's search of "who am I...really?"

A small book, deceptively appearing to be a quick read, but instead drawing you in to really thinking about what is being told to you. As you follow Suzanne through her honest and gutsy pursuit of who she is, and who she needs to be, you search for parallels, and find an echo, while admiring her courage to face the quest so head on. It has not been an easy journey. Circumstances made her face pain and fear, with no chance of avoidance, no choices but to find the coping skills to "get through to the other side".

Suzanne clearly brings out that no matter where we are now, or where we are headed, the answers are within us, but we have to have the courage to look, and accept the uncertainty and the trepidation that comes with giving space to your inner chatter. Her art and need to write have become her survival skills, but at the same time have become her support and joy while she uses them as tools to clear the path she needs to follow. Insightful. Take the time to read this. —Helen

A Heartfelt Journey Into a Way of Separating As a Way of Finding

Today I finished the book My Year of Separation by Suzanne Gibbs. I’ve been slowly reading it since it arrived because it’s a book to be savored. I’m so touched by Suzanne’s continuing journey of self-discovery, some of which I’m doing personally but without moving, injury, or pain. She is not only brave in her writing but also in her deeds. My hat is off to her. Do yourself a favor & order a copy for yourself! It will change the way you think about separating. —Mary

About the Author.

Suzanne Gibbs was born in Wisconsin, USA and is currently splitting her time between The Southern Oregon Coast and Portland, Oregon, USA. Suzanne has authored 3 books and painted countless paintings.

Conscious Curiosity: Communicating to Connect was her first book. She hopes to help couples everywhere to find their best and loving life through being open to a state of curiosity.

Her second book, My Year of Separation is a book containing a series of essays about the year the author moved out of her family home and lived on her own for the first time in 25 years. She successfully stayed married and connected fully to her children, friends, and family—while healing emotionally from the near death of her eldest son.

Her third book, The Shhh Book: a collection of stories from women who have been silenced or who chose self-silencing was self-published in 2020 during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Each story is paired with the paintings from a series titled, Shhh, Say Nothing: an honest look at silenced voices by the author and artist, Suzanne Gibbs.

Her formative years were spent abroad in Mexico and Brazil. Leaving beautiful Brazil for USA as a teenager was confusing and upsetting. The American Culture, all English speaking students, and words such as fair-isle, suburb, and blucher’s were completely unknown to her and a great cause for upset. During this time Suzanne began practicing daily writing and drawing or painting as a way to make sense of the world. Beginning the process of living inside of her imagination. This ritual continues to serve her creative process and informs her work.

In college, at Carnegie-Mellon University, she studied Graphic Design (BFA 1987). She later enrolled at University of Portland (Oregon) in Communication Studies where she graduated with a Master of Science degree in 1995. Degrees complete, she took a leap into motherhood and enjoyed the life of stay-at-home parent. Time at home allowed for continued interest in creative endeavors.

In 2013 she returned to school, yet again, completing a second Masters, this time in Studio Fine Art at Claremont Graduate University in Los Angeles. Suzanne shares her time and talents through lectures and workshops and sharing her version of life through making art and writing books.