Wholesome Badass: A Work in Progress

Split-screen illustration of a fish swimming in calm blue water and a girl surrounded by criticism, shame, and silent treatment. Both think, “just another day.”

What If It Was the Water?

October 15, 2026 No Comments

I spent much of my life believing something was terribly wrong with me. In fact, I’m fairly certain that was suggested more than a handful

Split illustration of trauma integration. On the left, a distressed girl sits among a heap of clutter beneath “The Accumulation of the Unresolved.” On the right, she sits peacefully before organized bins labeled Patterns, People, Dynamics, Impacts, Triggers, Beliefs, Coping, Messages, Roles, Boundaries, and Still Processing. A separate bin reads “Things to Let Go.” Copy alt text

Who Are We Beyond Survival Mode?

October 15, 2026 No Comments

For me, survival mode has felt like living under the weight of an ever-growing, tangled mess. Every unsettling interaction compounded it. I couldn’t untangle it,

Hand-drawn girl sorting books between two shelves. One is packed with numbered gray books beneath “Betrayal: Acts 1–2,094” and a broken heart. The other holds fewer colorful books beneath “Perhaps Worth Discussing” and an outlined heart.

From Unprocessed Trauma to Integration

October 13, 2026 No Comments

Over the last six months, I’ve experienced significant shifts in my recovery. I’m feeling it in my writing and illustrations, where I’m now able to

Little girl climbing a ladder over a wooden fence labeled with childhood emotional wounds. Dry, barren ground gives way to a green, hopeful landscape representing healing, freedom, and possibility.

Before the Fence

October 11, 2026 No Comments

Wholesome Badass blog and avatar emerged when I first engaged a therapist to support me with inner child and mother wound healing work. With Mari