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

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/dj-valerie-b-love-podcast-924764/canvas-of-courage-how-one-mom-transformed-cancer-into-creative-healing-nerissa-balland
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/dj-valerie-b-love-podcast-924764/canvas-of-courage-how-one-mom-transformed-cancer-into-creative-healing-nerissa-balland.md
Podcast: [DJ Valerie B LOVE Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/dj-valerie-b-love-podcast-924764)
Published: 2026-02-06T15:13:24+00:00
Episode link: https://www.djvalerieblove.com/post/healing-cancer-art-motherhood-nerissa
Audio file: https://op3.dev/e/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pdcn.co/e/pscrb.fm/rss/p/serve.podhome.fm/episode/47c16c29-da47-48c2-9e01-08dbe9c44edd/6390539607900340107f89b29a-d8cb-4d54-b9b6-77d9db80ea05v3.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/dj-valerie-b-love-podcast-924764/episodes/canvas-of-courage-how-one-mom-transformed-cancer-into-creative-healing-nerissa-balland
Duration seconds: 5620

## Resource

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  

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