Artist’s Statement:

See, when I was growing up, my dad was in a wheelchair. So, he was always telling us, “There’s no such words as, ‘you can’t do something.’ You can or you’re full of shit.” And he’d beat you to get it out of you. So, in my head, it’s always like a storm, I’m always like confused about everything. We were told when we were kids, if you cut yourself or break a limb it ain’t supposed to hurt. Like even when the bone was sticking out of the skin, “just push that thing back in, don’t cry, just duct tape it up”. As you get older, they say, “Oh, this is what you’re going to be next. You’re going to have a family, you’re going to get married, you got to go to work now.” You’re supposed to know how to use all these tools, and you’ve got to watch sports, because if you don’t, you’re not a man. But I’d rather be a bird that can fly away and I’d rather sit in a kitchen all day, baking and listen to soft music because life is just a puzzle. Every time they have baking here or something, I’m the first one there. I’d volunteer for any cooking, cleaning. I always knew I liked food, but it wasn’t until I was in the hospital, and I went to a cooking class, I’m like, “hey this is kind of cool”.

Bio:

I’m forty-six and I live in Hamilton. I’m learning how to deal with my mental health.