Charlotte Cree | United Kingdom
This project came from my own experiences of childhood sexual abuse within my family, and my inability for many years to ever talk about it. I used drawing as a way of communicating something that words couldn’t express fully. Trauma is complicated and messy, and words often seem too logical and linear to explain the effect it has on an individual.
For years I searched to find people who had similar experiences as me, but words written down didn’t help me to connect emotionally, and I always looked for something visual as a reminder that I wasn’t alone in my experiences.
I realised the power behind illustration came from being able to communicate the emotions about the experiences, not from written words describing them. I kept it a wordless narrative for this reason, as I didn’t want the text to detract from the message. Picture books about trauma and sexual abuse rarely exist, are only within the clinical setting of educational tools, or hidden through deeply metaphorical children’s stories with animals and happy endings. This isn’t a children’s book project as it’s not suitable for a young audience, but I feel that it could be used to help people feel less alone, and understand the impact that trauma has on an individual and their life. I used symbolism like the red colour to connect family members together, and the blue to illustrate the person of trust who finally listens and believes the survivor. The game board signifies the coping mechanisms that many turn to in order to survive, my way of coping was an Eating Disorder but everyone has their own experiences. The piece of paper of the simple house drawing represents the close family system, and how it was broken by various people. By the end the therapist’s hands are seen holding the pieces together, still torn but encouraging us to look towards it, not hide away and pretend it didn’t happen.
It took many years for me to finally tell my story, but I hope that it can inspire other’s to be brave enough to tell theirs.
Education:
Falmouth University
BA Illustration
Graduation: 2023