This acrylic on canvas depicts my interpretation of a painting of a human heart that has given rise to a small collection of flowers accompanied by the words “I accept the risk of getting hurt”. The blooming flowers symbolise how feelings of affection, and eventually love, can bloom when we have an open heart. However, for this to happen we must also have an open mind which understands that for love to grow we must be vulnerable and therefore we must “accept the risk of getting hurt” as a result of this. This uncertainty of whether one will be hurt has posed an insurmountable barrier for me in my personal relationships until very recently, however, with this painting I aim to show how as the result of hard and conscious work I have been able to become more comfortable with this uncertainty which has allowed my feelings to slowly bloom like small flowers