"Hey, Kiddo Triptych"

Pen & Ink and Digital

I made a name for myself in the world of children's literature through brightly-colored illustrations of energetic characters. But all along, there was a much darker and more intense story that I felt compelled to share—that of growing up with a mother battling opioid use disorder, being raised by my alcoholic grandparents, and wrestling with my own depression. These were parts of my life I kept hidden, even from close friends at RISD. —let alone with the world. My graphic memoir, Hey, Kiddo, became the biggest book of my career. But more importantly? Once I shared it openly, my story no longer owned me. I owned my story.