My brother was the only friend I had growing up. We used to watch fantasy movies every night, and read stories about epic adventures and hear scary tales that would keep us up all night. We were always fascinated about how we would “beat” these monsters in these stories.
In high school, my brother began struggling and saying things I could not understand. I failed in many ways to help him, and it wasn’t until we were pushed into tragedy that I chose to step into my brother’s mind instead of letting the illness and disease take over his life.
I’ve spent over 10 years in the mental health field. There, I’ve met amazing people who have taught me so much about life and how the mind works.
Something I don’t share as much publicly is how I volunteer my free time speaking with and supporting care partners, families, nonprofits, and those struggling who have no one else.
I’ve always wanted to portray all these people as heroes and show the struggles they face as momentous, because they are. They deserve a beautiful fantasy that allows for more empathy.
My days are spent writing, making spicy foods, contemplating the abyss, getting lost, and meeting people from all over the world and figuring out what makes them laugh.
