My Work
Poetry
"A Burden of Brilliance"
I wrote this in a state of exasperation after an afternoon with my mother who became disoriented and panic-stricken in her search for a pair of socks. A true genius and beautiful soul, my mom has become increasingly debilitated by mental illness over the years. This poem, scripted in various fonts and colors on a backdrop of a hoard of socks, represents her disorganized mind and my desperate frustration trying to help and understand her. A mind with great intelligence and mental illness -- a burden we both endure.
20 February 2024
Visual Art
"At a Brahms Concert"
An artistic representation using paint, freehand sketch, and magazine cut-outs depicting my thoughts and emotional responses to a singular week in my life. Distress is portrayed in dark tones and a clutter of socks, frustration by squiggly lines and the word "ESCAPE", and eventual peace and harmony by the light blue shades and musical notes of Brahms Sonata No. 2. -- a piece performed at a concert I attended and the highlight of my week. Lastly, although looking downward and away, a large yellow heart hovers above to signify joy and love around me.
26 February 2024
Journaling
"Mindful Moments of March"
In March I went on a daily mindfulness journey, following the "31-Day Mindfulness Challenge," a deck of cards created by a leading mental health professional in the United Kingdom. Selecting a new card each day, I accomplished each task and wrote my thoughts, feelings, experiences, and ideas in a personally crafted notebook. For inspiration, I posted the Reiki ideals, "Just For Today" on the inside cover. The exercises were simple and helped me feel more relaxed and at peace. The culminating work of "journal art" was also very self-fulfilling.
18 March 2024
Psychodrama
"My Soliloquy"
A monologue narrated by my middle-adult persona to the haunting music of Mozart's String Quartet No. 8, movement 2. After seeing an old photograph of myself as a little girl, I reflect on my early life growing up in Baltimore, Maryland while drawing a self-portrait of my young adult self. Using colored pencils to freehand sketch, I share my angst about being a painfully shy, quiet, and misunderstood child -- one who felt ashamed of who she was. Upon completing the self-portrait, I find comfort in acknowledging the melancholy person I truly am.
28 March 2024
Visual Storytelling
"My Life in a Doodle Daze"
I often find my mind wanders when I doodle. Here I talk about my life growing up in a Greek American family, my pursuit to be a musician turned Air Force flight nurse, and my eventual retirement into a new profession as a mental health counselor. This is a preview and still a work in progress.
21 March 2024