Jennifer Almeida

I chose to create a textured piece through a mixed media collage because it represents life which isn’t always smooth, and that there is beauty in the broken, torn, and chaotic. The first layer on this piece is red, yellow, and orange acrylic paint which are the colors that I believe represent resilience and light. The torn pieces of paper are daily devotionals that I have read throughout the years and have helped me get through dark times. Each piece is torn from a page that is a date that represents an important person or event in my life. An elephant with its trunk down represents life and the ability to conquer obstacles. I drew this and painted it with watercolor to represent that life ebbs and flows and great moments as well as great obstacles are intertwined and bleed into each other. Often it all comes together to form something beautiful and meaningful and creates the story of who we are. The meaning of sunflowers stems from their very nature-always facing the sun. They symbolize unwavering faith and constant orientation towards the light. My faith and ability to always see or be the light has been the foundation for my healing journey. Flowers have always held a special meaning in my life because I believe that with the right tools, we have the capacity to bloom where we are planted. Each photo in this piece represents a significant time period in my life. The individual photo represents the very days in which I was sexually abused. The photo at the top of this piece is me wrapping my arms around my siblings which is symbolic of my childhood, in which I was a caretaker and had nobody to care for me. I speak to that little girl often and offer her the love and affection that she needed. The photo at the bottom was taken on the day that I was adopted and it is the most significant photo because it represents the beginning of my journey towards healing. Without this day, and the guidance of family I believe that I wouldn’t be alive today. I tell that little girl every day how proud I am of how far she has come. That she bloomed where she was planted. That she built beautiful, loving relationships. That she graduated with her master degree. That she didn’t just survive, she thrived.

 My name is Jenn and I am a survivor of sexual abuse. My story is one of resilience. What I want folks to take away from my story is that our past doesn’t have to define us. There is healing after abuse and while we cannot change our past, we do have the capacity to create a new story for our future beginning with this moment, this day, this new chapter.