"the only normal people are the ones you don't know very well!"  -joe ancis
MORE INFO:
    I was born on Cape Cod in 1976 but spent much of my life living in various parts of MA and
    CT.  I  returned to the Cape as an adult, seeking the beauty and tranquility of “home”.  Art has
    always been a constant in my life even as a little girl.  After graduating from Smith College in
    1998 with a BA in Mathematics, I spent 6 years teaching high school algebra and geometry.  As
    a teacher, my creativity was focused on my classroom and my art became a second priority to
    my students.  After suffering a breakdown in 2004, I came to realize that my calling is to be a
    different sort of educator.  I now work as an office administrator to financially support my
    goals as a healthy individual, artist and advocate.  

    For many years I lived with depression, anxiety, borderline personality disorder and an eating
    disorder in silence.  When I finally reached out and got the help I needed, I faced the stigma of
    mental illness and brain disorders. It felt like society expected me to battle my sickness in
    secrecy and shame.  Outside of therapy, there was pressure to hide my problems and keep the
    silence that largely contributed to my breakdown in the first place.  I discovered that discussion
    of an individual’s brain disorder makes many people uncomfortable and when it does occur, it
    often happens privately and in hushed voices.  It is precisely this silence that creates the fear,
    shame and ignorance associated with mental illness.  

    Part of my healing and transformation has been opening up about my struggles.  As an artist,
    creating has always helped me to cope emotionally. However until recently, my artwork was
    tucked away in portfolios under my bed, hidden from the world.  What is presented on this
    website is reflective of my darkest moments as I struggled towards recovery as well as my
    more recent experiences trying to live as a healthier person.   

    Whether you have a loved one struggling with a brain disorder, you yourself have fought your
    own battle or you recognize this as something our community needs, I hope that reading a little
    about me and experiencing some of my artwork will inspire you to start your own
    conversations.  

                                                                                              amy :)
"So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains
And we never know we have the key"  - Eagles
About the Artist