Sarah Dearbaugh is the artist and owner of an art studio and gallery called Studio276 in Cedar Mountain, North Carolina.  Surrounded by the beauty of her community and the Blue Ridge Mountains, her inspirations for creativity are endless.. Expressing life through art has become a priority post-pandemic, and her art and workshops have been a therapeutic asset for herself and visitors to the studio.

In 2019, Ms. Dearbaugh’s nephew, Cole, was diagnosed with epilepsy. The extreme shift from being a “normal” kid entering his teenage years to having multiple debilitating seizures daily was a harrowing journey for his family. The unknowns stacked against him, and initially he did not have  enough answers to create a solid plan for this new way of life. 

Epilepsy struck without warning. Grasping for anyone in the social universe with a similar epileptic experience helped build an immediate community. Raising awareness and igniting conversation was imperative, so Ms. Dearbaugh and her sister-in-law, Amy MacHale, turned to art when words weren’t enough.

The Brain was created with purpose, love, and empathy for the family. A humble attempt at rationalizing the irrational has been shared socially to engage awareness and build community amongst others who have the unfortunate experience of dealing with a family member with epilepsy.