Why I Updated My Artist Bio (And Why It Matters)

Recently, I realized something important — my artist bio and statement were leaving too much unsaid. I was writing around the truth of who I am, why I make art, and the struggles I encounter living in a world not built for me. I was leaving the deeper, harder parts out, maybe to make things easier for others to digest. But I’ve come to understand that art — my art — is about truth. And if I’m not honest in the way I present myself, then I’m not honoring the work I create.

I am a neurodivergent artist (AuDHD), and that identity has shaped every single thing about my life — including the art I make. For as long as I can remember, I’ve carried this deep and unshakable feeling of being “other,” of being alien. Like I’m not really of this world, and it doesn’t quite belong to me either. The constant emotional and physical labor of masking — of bending myself into something more palatable for a society that rarely considers other neurotypes — has been exhausting. In fact, it’s been devastating to my health, leading to mental health struggles and chronic illness.

These truths shape my work. My art often feels lonely, cold, and searching — always looking, searching for a place that feels like home. My landscapes and collages are less about physical locations and more about emotional terrain: the places where hope and grief intersect, where resilience grows, where beauty exists in spite of everything.

I also believe it’s important to connect my personal story to the larger systems we all live in. The truth is, the current systems we operate under are unsustainable — not just for neurodivergent people, but for people. Unchecked growth in a finite system is how we define cancer. We cannot keep extracting, expanding, and ignoring the human cost. My hope — maybe a foolish one, but I cling to it — is that this country will wake up to the reality that survival depends on radical change. Not just for those of us who have always been “othered,” but for everyone.

So I rewrote my bio and statement to reflect the whole truth. Not just the art I make, but the reasons behind it. Not just the aesthetics, but the emotional, political, and deeply personal terrain it springs from.

Because honesty is its own kind of healing.