From Darkness into the Light, 2026

From Darkness into the Light

I came from a place where the sun forgot my name,
where days bled into nights
and nights into nothing at all.
A hollow world,
quiet as a held breath,
heavy as a locked door.

But even in the thickest dark,
a pulse kept tapping —
soft, stubborn, alive.
A whisper saying not yet,
a spark refusing to die.

So I followed it.
Crawling first,
then standing,
then walking toward a horizon
I could not yet see.

And the darkness loosened.
Not all at once —
but like frost surrendering
to the first warm wind.

I learned the shape of my own courage.
I learned that healing is not a straight line
but a lantern carried through a forest,
lighting only the next few steps
and still being enough.

And now the light finds me
in places I never thought it would —
in the steadiness of breath,
in the quiet pride of choosing differently,
in the soft miracle of waking
to a life I am no longer running from.

I am not who the darkness said I was.
I am the one who walked out of it.
I am the one who rose.

And the light —
it isn’t a destination.
It’s a way of walking,
a way of seeing,
a way of becoming
that I carry with me now,
bright and unbroken.

© Gregory Grinham.

Gregory Grinham (MyArt1958)

For 44 years, I have worked across education, from Kindergarten through to university, and in adult numeracy and literacy at NSW TAFE. Throughout my career, I have been privileged to work with learners at many different stages of life. These experiences have reinforced my belief that education is about far more than acquiring knowledge—it is about curiosity, confidence, creativity and discovering new possibilities.

I have also championed the arts throughout my career, supporting both the visual and performing arts as essential forms of learning, expression and communication. I believe creativity encourages us to see the world differently and provides ways of expressing ideas and emotions beyond conventional language.

In late 2025, I began a new creative chapter, taking up poetry, song lyrics, drawing and painting. My artistic practice now includes photography, acrylic paint, charcoal and carbon. Each medium provides a different way to explore observation, memory, emotion and experience.

My worldly travels and the many experiences gathered throughout my life provide an important source of inspiration. People, places, cultures, landscapes, memories and everyday moments all influence my creative work. I draw upon these experiences not simply to record what I have seen, but to interpret and reflect upon what they have meant to me.

There is a natural connection between my lifelong involvement in education and my developing artistic practice. Both are driven by curiosity, observation, experimentation and a willingness to keep discovering. My art is another way of learning, reflecting and communicating.

At the heart of my philosophy is the belief that learning is a series of journals, not an end point. Every experience adds another page, another perspective and another opportunity to discover something new.

My current creative journey is therefore not a departure from my past, but another chapter in a lifetime dedicated to learning, exploring and sharing the world through education and art.