One of our young ladies recently submitted artwork for the Quincy Art Center’s 50th Annual High School Student Art Competition, and her “Reaching for Help” was accepted into the show! This is a juried competition and we are very proud of her accomplishment. The following is the letter that accompanied her artwork.
“My name is Brooklynn, and I made this representation of how my life has kind of been.
When I was 10 years old, I had started hurting myself, over the years it had started to get worse. I was in and out of different hospitals due to my mental health.
At the age of 12 I started to use drugs to help me cope with all of my emotions. While on drugs I became physically abusive towards my family. They finally had enough and sent me back to somewhere for my mental health. But instead of a hospital it was a residential treatment facility. I was there for 18 months, but I really didn’t try to get better.
I was home for a week before I went somewhere else. That somewhere else was Chaddock. When I would mess up, I got second chances. And trust me, I messed up a lot. If it weren’t for the staff here, I wouldn’t be leaving (completing the program successfully), in less than 2 months.
I am self-conscious of my arms and legs because of my past. But I am proud to say that I am a survivor.
These two canvases show that people are out there to help you. The headless body is supposed to represent that it doesn’t have to be a boy or girl to come save you. People aren’t always there to judge you. Some are there to help. When they judge you, it’s because they don’t understand why you do it.
It took me 16 years to figure it out.
I just want people to know that there are people out there that do understand.”
We asked Brooklyn what she would like other people to know about Chaddock? – here’s what she had to say:
“If I had a kid and they went through problems and things like I did the first place I would reach out to is Chaddock because they give you so many chances. You get to go off campus, you have opportunities to go by yourself, you are involved in the community, you get to go to the humane society, even in the cottage there is always something to do. You can watch tv or play games with each other. We laugh so hard when we are together. Overall, I think Chaddock is such an amazing place. It’s like you’re having fun but you’re also doing treatment, but it doesn’t feel like treatment. I think it’s amazing.”
