You Are Not Alone, 2015
In order for addicts and those who care about them to get the support needed to heal, the stigma surrounding addiction in our society needs to be broken down. This piece aims to help those impacted by addiction understand that they are not alone and that they should never be ashamed of what they've been through.
I am a proud wearer of the "I love an addict" and "in memory of an addict" buttons.
My first encounter with someone who had taken a button occurred with the person photographed on the right. He told me how much this piece meant to him, explaining that he rarely felt comfortable talking about his loss and it's relation to addiction until now.
Over a year later, on the 2 year anniversary of my friend's fatal overdose, I was wearing my "In memory of an addict" button on the bus. A stranger and fellow student caught my eye across the bus, came over to me, and asked me about my button, inquiring about whether I was the artist. When I told him that I was, his face lit up. He told me that this piece had a huge impact on him and that he took one of each button and put them on his bulletin board in his bedroom. We shared a long hug before I got off the bus.
