What started as an exercise to meditatively decompress, slowly evolved into a personal narrative that would uncover a litany of buried secrets from my childhood. The Weikenings project began back in 2007 as a simple alphabet book filled with whimsical creatures. As I continued to develop the artwork in my spare time, a story emerged, one I initially struggled to understand. 

In my frustration to uncover the meaning of these creatures and their unfolding story, I nearly lost or damaged the artwork numerous times. Having determined that this was an incredibly important project, I knew that my continued self-sabotage meant that I was not only avoiding something integral about the project, but I additionally harbored destructive patterns beyond typical procrastination. It wasn’t until I began working with licensed, professional therapists that I began to scratch the surface of my limiting behaviors.

After a few years of cognitive behavioral therapy, I was encouraged to implement EMDR treatment, and within a few sessions I was finally able to comprehend the project’s underlying story as well as my compulsion to annihilate it. 

The Weikenings project was revealed to be a multi-layered, autobiographical allegory for my dissociative amnesia, in addition to a broader metaphor encompassing my journey to expose the trauma that initially generated these symptoms. What started as an alphabet book, evolved into an adventure where the protagonist embarks on an adventure to find, reclaim, and reassimilate her fractured identity.

Upon this newfound awareness, I resigned myself to finish this project with the added intention of creating an emblematic guide for those experiencing similar symptoms in response to their trauma. I felt that there needed to be a comprehensive blueprint that could teach people how to initiate their recovery process, as well as prepare their surrounding loved ones for the often frightening and confusing stages healing may demonstrate.

So many exquisite minds are held hostage by trauma, and it is my dream to help individuals embrace their power to heal themselves, because every one of us deserves to experience the bountiful nature of life’s limitless opportunities for meaningful experience.