Canvas of Courage: How One Mom Transformed Cancer Into Creative Healing | Nerissa Balland

Full episode with transcript and show notes: https://www.djvalerieblove.com/post/healing-cancer-art-motherhood-nerissa

In this heart-to-heart, I sit down with Nerissa Balland—two-time cancer survivor, mom of two boys, artist, author, and NLP practitioner—to explore the intersection of creativity, healing, and transformation. Nerissa shares how she was diagnosed with metastatic melanoma while five months pregnant—and how picking up a paintbrush became her medicine. Eight years later, she's cancer-free and on a mission to help young moms facing cancer feel less alone.

We dive deep into her book Canvas of Courage, interviewing over 100 young mothers with cancer, and why she chose the word "facing" instead of "battling." Nerissa unpacks the difference between art therapy and therapeutic arts, empath practices for protecting your energy, and why identity transformation is part of the healing journey—"You will never be the same person you were before. And that's okay." She also shares powerful insights on motherhood as a mirror, reframing failure as feedback, and how grief and gratitude can live together.

https://nerissaballand.com
https://instagram.com/nerissaballandart

Grab a Copy of Nerissa's Book
"Canvas of Courage: The Art of Healing, Hope, and Gratitude for Young Mothers Facing Cancer"
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GJF5DLGW

Support patient access to the book via GoFundMe:
https://gofund.me/9e8632b1c 

(00:00:32) Welcome and setting intentions for the conversation

(00:03:00) Creativity, adversity, and cancer as shared human threads

(00:04:05) From corporate creative to visual artist and two‑time cancer survivor

(00:05:40) Writing Canvas of Courage and focusing on young mothers

(00:08:33) Pandemic beginnings and searching for real support

(00:10:57) Why storytelling matters more than stages and stats

(00:14:58) Inviting women’s stories and the emotional toll of 100 interviews

(00:19:01) Energy hygiene for empaths: pauses, sound healing, silence

(00:22:34) Therapeutic arts vs. art therapy explained

(00:25:18) From 1:1 work to workshops and arts in medicine

(00:28:32) 'Facing' not 'battling' cancer; identity beyond labels

(00:34:58) Grief and gratitude can coexist on the healing path

(00:39:48) Scanxiety, PTSD, and practicing presence

(00:43:42) Failure equals feedback: resilience for artists

(00:47:37) Authenticity over toxic positivity; building a gratitude habit

(00:51:33) Practice, awareness, and celebrating small wins

(00:53:43) Motherhood as mirror: unconditional love and boundaries

(01:01:36) Do your own work to parent well; faith and tools

(01:04:37) Rewiring with NLP: being the DJ of your inner voices

(01:08:36) Progress, not instant perfection; set realistic goals

(01:12:57) The courage to live authentically and beyond past stories

(01:13:57) Identity is not diagnosis, job title, or experience

(01:19:04) Belonging, friendship, and adult community building

(01:24:10) Support and connection for moms; discerning your yes and no

(01:25:26) What Nerissa wants listeners facing cancer to know

(01:25:43) Challenging beliefs: "cancer is a death sentence" and "cancer is bad"

(01:29:32) Silver linings: marriage, presence, and authentic living

(01:30:45) Closing gratitude, resources, and sign‑off