Read moreWhen I published my original Masks essay in February of 2019, I was at a bit of a breaking point. I felt deeply, chokingly unseen. And I imagined that articulating my fears, traumas, and ideas would alleviate some of the invisibility I felt. But after two years spent wrapping my tender stories in their most […]
Read moreI’ve talked a bit now about some of my personal masks, but as I said in my first essay, I am also committed to gathering/hearing these stories. I’ve thought a lot about how best to do this, and I’ve landed on . . . A PODCAST! I’ve already conducted interviews with 14 professional artists in […]
Read moreMy second “Masks” essay is a harder one to write, but it feels important for me to share. This photo was taken in the summer of 2007 at Niagara Falls. It looks like a perfectly normal family vacation photo . . . but this was one of the worst days of my life. Some context: […]
Read moreI’m coming to the realization that the great majority of my darker moments stem from the feeling that I am not “seen,” and a fear that I may not ever be. And really, my biggest motivators for creativity are wrapped up in the same roots. Of course, I don’t mean literally “seen,” but that ache […]