As a woman of color, I feel it is imperative that black and brown communities see ourselves in images representative of life, all parts of life, especially in images around Mental Health. In our communities, there is a stigma surrounding mental illness that I believe needs to end. I aim to use my artistry to do just that. I attribute the inspiration behind this passion to my parents as they both struggled with and succumbed to their mental illnesses. Partly, I think it happened that way because their issues weren't acceptable to talk about. No one should feel like they can’t speak about what they’re dealing with mentally and/or emotionally and that is what I plan to change through my work.  A technique I have been using to do this is capturing my mental health episodes and editing the images to reflect the emotions/feelings of that moment. It is a very vulnerable process, especially allowing others to view these images, but it has been the catalyst for so many conversations that may have not happened otherwise. Honestly, I feel that the conversations that my images spark could save someone’s life.

I am a very passionate about what I do and the quality of work that I provide. I understand that, for some of us, photos can become the only tangible thing that we have left to remember those closest to us. They can easily become a token of moments we can't replicate.