Amy Oestreicher, an artist, performer, speaker and author, died last week at the age of 33, just a day after the publication of her second book, Creativity and Gratitude: Exercises and Inspiration for a Year of Art, Hope, and Healing.
Oestreicher's first book, My Beautiful Detour: An Unthinkable Journey from Gutless to Grateful, recounts how, at the age of 18, her stomach exploded the week before her senior prom. She was in a coma for months, and upon waking up she learned she might never be able to eat or drink again. Following 28 surgeries and seven years of surviving off IV nutrition, her digestive system was reconstructed. The book discusses her long recovery and her unexpected flourishing as a mixed-media artist.
Julia Abramoff, publisher and editorial director at Apollo Publishers, which published Creativity and Gratitude, called Oestreicher a "creative powerhouse." The book is filled with a year's worth of creativity prompts but, Abramoff said, "Amy could have offered a lifetime of them. As we celebrate Amy's life, we look to the book to once again hear her voice.
"On its pages, Amy is forthcoming about her health struggles and how creativity saved her. We hope to honor Amy by sharing her inspiring message and creative energy. The world needs more of that. While she has passed, her bright and encouraging words will continue to help others, offering artistic releases and reminders of all that we have to be grateful for."