Psyched: Comics (2018)

I've known Rose my entire life, and words I'd never use to describe her would be "anxious" or "depressed." Her inner light seemed to shimmer throughout the beautiful wooden house her father built, spilling out onto their small family farm. I remember her giggles, her stories, and especially, her artwork. Pen in hand, she would mimic Bob Ross whom she watched while sitting on her father's lap. One time she even scratched her name into her sister Sally's dresser; It seemed like she was always trying to make her mark. Her diverse artistic inclinations were no surprise to me: that house was always bustling with music, and was literally covered in her Father's abstract paintings. Plus, they were completely secluded: 2 miles away from the nearest road, tucked away in the deep woods of Front Royal, Virginia. Being homeschooled by her mother made her incredibly close with her 5 siblings, especially her brother, whom she idolized. Her life was idyllic and stress-free. However, when she transitioned to college, she found herself overwhelmed with the balance of work and school. One week she actually calculated how much free time she had that semester and the answer was: none. That same week, a close family friend committed suicide, but Rose was unable to process the shock, and grief. This experience threw Rose into a year of crippling anxiety and depression. Unable to make art due to the lack of time and emotional space, she was unmotivated, disconnected, and unable to see a light at the end of the tunnel. "I felt like a fraction of a shadow of who I was, let alone who I wanted to be."