While in the throes of grief I sought to visually express what was so difficult for others to hear. I had suffered a traumatic loss. My brain simply could not make sense of my new reality, I was unable to make cognitive connections or problem solve at even a base level. Feeling trapped and in a continual state of transition, I was caught between the life I once had and the one I hoped to live.

In the words of Megan Devine; “Pain has to be welcomed and understood, given actual true space at the table; otherwise we cannot do the work we do, whether that is the personal work of showing up and staying alive, or the wider global work of making the world safe, equitable, and beautiful for all beings. We have to be able to say what’s true without fear of being seen as weak, damaged, or somehow failing the cultural storyline. We need to make it just as normal to talk about our pain as it is to talk about our joy.”

Writing this book and making these images has helped me make sense of my feelings of grief, trauma, and crisis. I offer it to you as a means of companionship, my way of saying: “I understand what you are going through, I feel your pain. I am right here with you.” There is strength in companionship, in shared experience. When we feel we are not alone, we are stronger.