I am an artist and Addictions Counseling student at JCC. I discovered my artistic side roughly a decade ago at a very low point in my life. Creating became a means of recreating my identity at a time when I really wasn’t sure who I was anymore. Art is my therapy. It is a powerful tool that helps to keep me centered. I created this dress with scrap and vintage, discarded fabrics. I enjoy creating things of beauty from waste material. Much of my artistic work focuses on giving items a second chance. This dress illustrates the two sides of thought. We all have inner narratives that can either be empowering or self defeating. Our inner dialogue can lift us or limit us. Words matter. Art heals.