Image Description; Digital art of a sideview of an anime-inspired female. She has dark waving hair and wearing black clothes. She is sitting cross-legged on the floor, typing on a laptop computer. Her expression is of joy and peace. The background is pink with swirls and hearts. The words “You are not alone” are written on the background.
Quote from the artist, “In my art, I tend to focus on one subject to emphasize the individual experience and how complex every single person is. For this artwork, I wanted to show the importance of an online community and how even if you feel alone physically, there are always other people out there, whether online or in-person.”
ABOUT THE ARTIST: Melody Miller
Melody Miller (she/they) is an autistic queer person who has been familiar with disabilities all their life through friends, family, and their own personal experiences. Their favorite way to express the vibrancy of their inner world is through their art, where they tend to focus on one subject to emphasize the individual experience and how complex every single person is.
Image Description: A disabled trans male being told He’s enough and the person saying that is making him feel important. Surrounded by the disabilities he has, the pain of having them are fading farther away once he hears those words of encouragement.
Living with disabilities is a unique journey that shapes one’s perspective and invites a myriad of experiences. Today, I tell you my life story of navigating through the complexities of autism, epilepsy, and ADHD. It was a long process, and I surely struggled, but it became harder and the road to where I am today was, indeed, bumpy.
• Discovering Differences
From an early age, I began to notice my innate differences from my peers. My initial encounters with autism manifested in distinct communication and interaction patterns. Socializing became an intricate dance that required both patience and understanding from those around me. Despite these challenges, I found solace in my burgeoning creativity and unique perspectives on the world.
• Epilepsy’s Unpredicted Twists
As life unfolded, epilepsy unexpectedly entered the stage, adding another layer to my journey. Seizures brought forth uncertainty and fear, each episode altering their path momentarily. However, with resilience and support, I discovered ways to manage my condition, embracing life’s unpredictability with open arms. Medication played a huge part, but overcoming my fear helped.
• The Dual Nature of ADHD
ADHD joined the ensemble, introducing a whirlwind of hyperactivity, impulsiveness, and difficulty concentrating. It challenged my ability to stay on task, especially in school, and sometimes made me feel restless in an environment designed for neurotypical individuals. Nevertheless, their ADHD became a catalyst for innovation, enabling me to approach my problems from unique angles and harness my boundless energy for creative pursuits.
•The Obstacles
Life was far from smooth sailing, as societal stigmas and misconceptions surrounding disabilities often stood in the way of my progress. I faced educational barriers and workplace discrimination various points in their life. However, with determination, advocacy, and the invaluable support of friends, family, and mentors (staff in my previous and current homing situations), I overcame these obstacles.
• Finding a Voice
In my quest for self-acceptance and resilience, I discovered an artistic outlet that allowed me to share their experiences. With writing, Drawing, or any creative medium, I was able to express my unique perspective on the world, enlightening society on the true nature of disabilities and eroding the boundaries between neurodiversity and the mainstream.
• Embracing Neurodiversity
The journey towards self-acceptance led me to embrace the concept of neurodiversity. I became passionate advocates, fostering inclusivity and understanding within their communities. My experiences with epilepsy, autism, and ADHD gave me invaluable insights into the diverse tapestry of human existence and the beauty that lies within the differences we all possess.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Ash Ward
I am Ash Ward. My pronouns are He/they and I am 23 years old. I enjoy drawing and listening to music. I like helping others and volunteering at animal shelters!
Image Description: Trans man with pink fluffy hair, hazel eyes and an anime shirt on Trans man with pink fluffy hair, hazel eyes and an anime shirt on
Image Description: digital drawing of a cartoonish person standing in a grey and plain landscape, looking up at the viewer with a hand extended forward, offering a hand shake. The person is wearing a polo shirt and long pants along with a mask showing a smiling face, all the same color as the background. The person is vibrant blue, their arms, hair, and exhausted eyes visible.
“Masking Pains” is about the difficulty in trying to get employment and housing when you’re forced to hide your symptoms as best you can in interviewing processes.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: G. Rice
I’m 23 years old and have been drawing digitally for around a decade now. I started drawing regularly after discovering anime at 12 but my current art and writing is more inspired by the humour and surrealism of the 90s and 00s cartoons I grew up on. I’m a very big fan of horror in multiple mediums (games, art, writing, movies, etc.) and am part of goth, punk, and metal head subcultures which have influenced the style and content of my art.
“Letters I never sent to you” by Cierra Olivia Thomas Williams.
The series revolves around the artist’s exploration of her experiences with violence and her attempts to communicate those experiences to an important person in her life. The series consists of one piece in transition, creating several artworks, each depicting different emotions and themes related to the artist’s trauma.
The first piece, titled “Gaslighted,” is a pencil and charcoal close-up self-portrait of the artist’s eyes and nose. It represents the moment when she reached out to the person she expected to love and support her, only to be met with disbelief and accusations of fabricating stories.
The second piece, called “Unsent,” features a self-portrait of the artist’s crying face against a black background. The word “LISTEN” floats in the artwork, while ripped-up letters that were never sent to the person are collaged into the piece. The text fragments express the artist’s desperate attempt to convey the truth about her experience with sexual violence and her struggles with its aftermath.
The third piece, titled “Suffer,” shows the transformation of the artist’s face from pain to rage, eventually turning into a black bear. The artwork incorporates Miwok words, representing descriptive terms for various aspects of the environment. The bear symbolizes the artist’s intense emotions and the anger she feels at not being believed.
In the final transformation, depicted in “Bear Eating People,” the artist’s sad self-portrait is consumed by red, yellow, and black shadow fingers. The Miwok term for “bear eating people” replaces the word “listen,” symbolizing the artist’s transition into a vengeful bear that represents her rage and frustration at the lack of belief and support she encountered.
Gaslighted
Media: Pencil and charcoal close-up self-portrait of my eyes and nose. I called the person who should love me the deepest and told them what happened. They said I was making up stories.
Unsent
Media: Charcoal, pencil, and collaged words, images, unsent letters, and a recycled 2021 calendar
A self-portrait of my face crying. The word LISTEN floats on a black background with my crying face being pulled into the darkness by red and black fingers. The text is made up of words from ripped up letters I never sent her. The pieces of letters say, “This is no lie. It was sexual violence. Crisis. I can’t decide how it makes me as an adult person. Manic again, scary, unthinkable. Not neurotypical skills. And this is what I remember.” There is a winding stairway from my temple and my chin. At the end of the spiral stairs at the bottom of the piece are boats facing away from the pain.
Suffer
Media: Charcoal and pencil, photography.
The transformation of my face from pain to rage, from human to black bear. Miwok words are filled with descriptive terms for things found in the environment that you might encounter and interact with. For example, you may come across a hairy bear, or a lazy bear. Yosemite is the word for murderous bear.
Bear Eating People
Media: Charcoal and pencil, photography. In its final transformation, suffer. My face is overcome with red, yellow, and black shadow fingers-pulling on me. The Miwok word for “bear eating people,” or “Hutcumi,” appears where the word listen once appeared. My sad self-portrait is transforming into a murderous bear to express the rage I feel at not being believed.
About the artist
Cierra Olivia Thomas-Williams is a fat and sassy thoyewa (disabled) Miwok cisgender assa (woman) with salt and pepper hair. She is smiling into the camera and is wearing a pink floral shirt in the picture. Cierra is a survivor of poly violence with CPTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder and is on the bipolar spectrum.
Cierra is a Prevention Specialist at Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, where she co-founded Indiana Disability Justice.
