The morning light streamed through the windows of Emma's studio, illuminating the blank canvas that waited on her easel. She stood before it, brush in hand, feeling the familiar mix of excitement and trepidation that always preceded a new work.

But this time, something was different. This time, she wasn't painting from pain. She wasn't trying to process trauma, to express suffering, to transform darkness into something bearable. She was simply... creating. For the joy of it. For the ...