Check Out Lexy Lehmkuhl’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lexy Lehmkuhl.

Hi Lexy, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My journey started through art—as a way to survive. As a survivor of human trafficking, I was holding a lot of trauma in my body that I struggled to process. Painting and writing music became my way of releasing the pain, of creating something beautiful from what felt broken. It wasn’t about making art for anyone else—it was about remembering who I was.

Over time, that personal practice evolved into Brushed by Freedom, a project I created while working with other trafficking survivors. I saw how healing through color, texture, sound, and embodiment could offer something that traditional methods often missed. So much of our trauma lives in the body, and creative expression gives us access to something deeper.

In addition to creating art and music, I also began studying somatic practices and meditation, which are now a key part of how I support others. My work bridges creativity and nervous system healing—not as a linear process, but as a space to feel, release, and reclaim our voices.

Brushed by Freedom isn’t just about art—it’s about liberation. It’s about showing up as we are and using creative tools to reconnect with the parts of ourselves that were silenced or stolen. That’s what brought me to where I am now, and it continues to be the heartbeat of everything I create.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Definitely not a smooth road. Before I could even begin creating or supporting others, I had to survive. I had to reclaim my body, my voice, and my worth after being trafficked. For a long time, the story that lived in my head was the one my trafficker planted—that I would never be more than what happened to me. Unlearning that lie has taken time, gentleness, and a lot of nervous system work.

Living with PTSD means that even when I want to move forward, my body hasn’t always felt safe enough to. There were seasons where the idea of creating, sharing, or showing up felt impossible because survival took everything I had. It’s not just emotional work—it’s physical. Trauma lives in the body, and I had to learn how to build safety from the inside out. That’s why somatic work became so foundational for me. It helped me regulate, reconnect, and take one step at a time.

There have been setbacks, relapses into silence, and times I questioned if I was strong enough to do this work at all. But each time I came back to art, to breath, to presence—I remembered that healing is possible. And that I am so much more than what I’ve been through.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Right now, I’m focused on a body of work that feels incredibly close to my heart—paintings of divine feminine figures surrounded by nature elements. Each piece is an act of reclamation. Through color, texture, and form, I explore what it means to come home to the feminine—her sensuality, her power, her softness, and her wildness. It’s about healing that creative and sensual energy so many of us have been disconnected from, especially those of us who have experienced trauma.

These paintings are deeply personal, but they also carry a universal thread. I’m currently in the process of getting prints made so they can be shared more widely, and I’ll be submitting original pieces to galleries soon. I want people to feel something when they see them—something ancient and free.

Alongside my visual art, I’ve also been working with my producer to record songs I’ve written over the years—songs that helped me reclaim my voice, literally and spiritually. I’m actively in the studio, and releasing music is my next big step. It’s a different medium, but the mission is the same: to transmute pain into something that liberates. I’m proud of the way I’ve stayed true to that.

What sets my work apart is the intention behind it. Everything I create—whether it’s a painting, a meditation, or a song—comes from a place of deep healing and embodiment. It’s not just art, it’s an act of freedom.

Who else deserves credit in your story?
Absolutely—none of this would be possible without the support I’ve received along the way. My journey has been held by so many generous, wise, and loving people. From spiritual teachers who helped me remember who I really am, to fellow artists who encouraged me to keep creating even when I doubted myself, to my therapist who has been an anchor in the most tender moments of healing—every step forward has been made with their support.

But most of all, I’m inspired daily by the survivors I’ve had the honor to walk alongside—those I’ve worked with and those I’ve met in shared spaces of healing. Their courage, their creativity, their fierce commitment to rising beyond what was done to them—it’s nothing short of sacred. They’ve reminded me over and over again that healing isn’t just possible, it’s revolutionary.

Community has been everything. I wouldn’t be here without it, and I carry that truth into every piece I create and every space I hold.

Pricing:

• Painting Prints- $25+ depending on the piece
• Comissioned Work- $100+ depending on the piece
• 1:1 Meditation Guidance- $125/hr
• Original Artwork- Varying Prices, available for purchase on my website

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.brushedbyfreedom.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notjustlexy
• Other: https://ko-fi.com/brushedbyfreedom