Dimensions of Self
Dimensions of Self
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Dimensions of Self is a creative exploration of identity and purpose, memory and inheritance—karmic and familial—to heal generational wounds and conflicts. The project includes poetry and writing, drawings and paintings, books and zines, and a forthcoming multimedia exhibition.
I started working on this project several years ago to help me understand and honor my life after having experienced sexual trauma in my early 20s. I was betrayed and wounded by two individuals—an intimate partner, as well as another individual I wholly trusted. After the abuse, I became angry, depressed, and resentful. I was masterful at hiding my feelings and suffering in silence. My instinct was to protect those involved because I loved them and didn't want their lives to be ruined, even though, in a sense, mine was.
One way I coped was to focus on my own healing process, which included getting a PhD in transpersonal psychology. I was interested in learning about family systems and the role that power plays in relationships. After over 30 years of study and personal growth, I have come to believe that healing is not a place where we arrive and are done. Rather, it is a lifelong journey where we can experience moments of peace and stillness, and if we are lucky, those moments extend themselves; but for many of us, the pain and suffering appear in various ways throughout our lives, even after we do all the things we are told will help.
But, regardless, the only way forward is through, and the more that we can sit in a place of truth and accept who/what/where we are, the more we can grow in awareness, which I believe is the point (or at least part of it).
The creative process is an essential part of my journey. When I write, draw, or create, I feel a shift inside my being, and for a time, I feel better. My purpose in producing Dimensions of Self was to better understand myself, my family, and my life. I hope that this work inspires others to explore their own lives and that it helps them on their journey.
My Heritage includes stories about my Greek family and ancestors from my father's paternal side, my Irish, German, Dutch, and Scottish ancestors from my father's maternal side, and my Nicaraguan family and ancestors from my mother's side.
Book Specs: Hardcover with hand sewn, Coptic binding; 100 pages, 8.5" x 11", full color (archival pigment ink).
My Parents is the story about how my parents met, what their life was like (from my perspective), why they decided to divorce (when I was 12 years old), and their life afterwards.
Book Specs: Softcover with hand sewn binding; 32 pages, 8.5" x 11", full color (archival pigment ink).
My Life includes stories about being born in Managua, Nicaragua, growing up in New Orleans, Louisiana, living in Texas, Florida, and California, and other details about my life, including a traumatic experience and subsequent search for meaning.
Book Specs: Hardcover with hand sewn, Coptic binding; 120 pages, 8.5" x 11", full color (archival pigment ink).
Inner Dimensions includes poetry, art, and writing about the trauma/s I experienced in life as well as the things that helped me on my healing/life journey.
Book Specs: Acrylic cover with hand sewn, Coptic binding; 80 pages, 8.5" x 11", full color (archival pigment ink).
Why am I Greek, Irish, German, Dutch, Scottish, Nicaraguan? contains channeled messages about my heritage and why I was born into those specific cultural paradigms.
Book Specs: 12-page accordion fold with paperback cover and hand sewn inserts; 22" x 17".
Divine Guidance includes messages that were channeled by my husband while he was in an altered state about my life and healing journey.
Book Specs: Hardcover with hand sewn, Coptic binding; 140 pages, 5.5" x 8.5", black and white pages.
Timeline: Infancy to Middle-Adulthood is an accordion book of a spreadsheet I created to track the details of my life, from the year of my birth to my early 50s. It includes where I lived (we moved a lot), schools I attended, who I was in love with (at the time), places I traveled, and major events in my life.
Book Specs: 18-page accordion fold book with hard cover; 6 5/8" x 8".
My Family Tree is an accordion book (that unfolds vertically and horizontally) with names, locations, and dates (births/deaths, when known) of family members and ancestors going back to the 1600s.
Book Specs: 14-page accordion fold (8 across and 6 down) with hard cover; 10" x 8.75".
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