Mom Spent Months on ‘Deeply Personal’ Artwork, Took Son Seconds To Ruin It

A mom of two with a passion for art was left stunned after discovering one of her sons had added something unexpected to the piece she had spent months perfecting.

Dinara Tejada, a stylist with two young sons, Leo and Zion, living in Jersey City, told Newsweek how her passion for art began “during one of the most difficult chapters of my life.”

“Drawing became a way for me to process emotions I couldn’t put into words,” Tejada said. “As a busy parent, art is my space to breathe, reflect, and reconnect with myself. It’s a vital creative outlet that keeps me grounded.”

Tejada said she harbors dreams of one day attending art school, but for now, she is content with having art as an outlet that encourages better self-care.

Research has highlighted the role the arts can have on improving mental health.

In 2024, a U.K. report from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport said: “Engaging in creative activities activates similar neurological pathways as those targeted by medication, offering a non-pharmaceutical alternative for managing mental health.”

Up until recently, Tejada had been working on a piece she described as “deeply personal.”

“It took me months to create and reflected a lot of emotions I was processing—motherhood, healing, and rediscovering myself through art,” she said.

During this time, the family uprooted to Florida to be closer to the hospital where Zion was receiving treatment. “We spent countless hours there,” Tejada said.

It was during this time that she also discovered her “sanctuary”—the art studio, Paul Foropoulos Fine Art. “That’s where I began to really connect with art as a form of healing and self-expression,” Tejada said. “The piece was born from all of that—it wasn’t just a drawing; it was part of my emotional journey.”

There was to be one more turn in the road in this particular journey, though, when her son Leo decided to add his own personal touch to the piece.

“I was sitting at my computer doing homework while the kids had just come back from school,” Tejada said. “At one point, Leo came up to me and said, ‘Mama, come with me. I want to show you something—you’re gonna love it!’ I followed him into the bedroom, and that’s when I saw it—he had drawn all over my artwork.”

What followed was a flurry of conflicting emotions as Tejada grappled with her response as a parent and artist. “He was so proud and excited. In that moment, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry,” Tejada said.

In hindsight, her son’s interest in the piece should have been expected. “Both of my kids love to draw. We create something every single day,” Tejada said. “Whenever I have the time, I love guiding them—but, honestly, Leo rarely needs direction. He comes up with his own ideas, and sometimes he’ll wake up in the morning with an urgent need to create something. His imagination drives him, and I try to nurture that as much as I can.”

Even with Leo’s endless creativity in mind, Tejada said she couldn’t help but react with shock to what he had done to the piece she had been working on for months.

“I screamed like a teenage girl,” she added. “The boys got scared, and my husband came running in, thinking he needed to save the whole family. I kicked everyone out of the room just to catch my breath and figure out what to do with the artwork.”

It was only then that Tejada decided to pick up her phone and hit record with the resulting video posted to her Instagram account @dinaratejada. The clip, chronicling what Leo had done, went viral.

“I got thousands of comments—some supportive, others critical,” Tejada said. “People told me what I should’ve done, how to parent, how to react as an artist. But what I want people to understand is that life—especially parenting—is unpredictable. It’s not about being perfect or always knowing the right thing to do. It’s about showing up with love, learning as you go, and accepting that we all make mistakes.”

In that moment, Tejada said she “reacted as a human, as a mom” and that, while it might not have been the best approach, it was fine. That is the message she hopes people take away from her experience.

“It’s not about living a picture-perfect life; it’s about being present, real, and kind to yourself through the mess,” she said. Tejada has received several offers from people asking to buy the piece in the wake of her video going viral, but she is not planning on selling it.

“I hope to eventually showcase it in exhibitions—especially those that focus on women, motherhood, and the complexities of life,” Tejada said. “This piece carries too much meaning for me to part with, but I’d love for others to connect with it through prints and future shows.”