mylene cahambing

Artist Statement

Keywords:
callmerad1 rekonstrAKSYON, creativity, art is healing, mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), low vision, post-traumatic stress disorder, post-traumatic growth.

The Why of Rekonstraksyon:
a Gift of r.a.d. Stitches.

Because there are very few resources and supportive spaces for mTBI survivors with vision loss, I am raising awareness about mTBI and vision loss. I am advocating for a support group to become a reality for mTBI survivors at the UCB TBI Eye Clinic.

To honor the daily struggles of mTBI survivors with vision loss, I give thanks to neuro-optometrists, eye specialists, and other somatic health practitioners and providers who help those with debilitating chronic health conditions.

Sharing Rekonstraksyon, a Gift of r.a.d. Site has been a grueling process of healing as continuous grounding is needed to find my place, at my triple post-mtbi site.

A car accident on 12/26/2017 halted the active life I once lived. I learned how to focus on the radical act of self-love, learning how to nurse and heal myself. I’ve gone through loopholes of systemic oppression for folks with invisible conditions ~ my triple mild traumatic brain injuries forced me to shelter in place due to overwhelming concussion symptoms. I want to forget the painful chronic head pressure, nausea, dizziness, and neuro-fatigue, all occurring at once. I lost myself in the depths and darkness of persistent brain fog. One day, I woke up with a blurry vision, making it more complicated. And recently recovering from eye-skin graft surgery after a summer ‘canoeing’ accident.

Over time, I learned how to and celebrated small victories from many years of triggering neuro-vision rehabilitation therapy. I hesitantly and slowly relearned how to join the outside non-concussed world. I am blessed and grateful to speak, write, talk, and breathe freely amongst and with you all.

It feels good to play with my hands. I feel like I was putting bandages together on ancestral wounds with each strip of paper glued with modgepodge and lots of duct tape. It feels good to set space for my healing.

My frustrations? How can we share about the complexities of the invisible to be visible? I appreciate nonjudgmental spaces. I appreciate the support that doesn’t take much energy to receive. I appreciate not having to beg to understand the enormous power it takes to live in a non-concussed world.

As a Disability Wellness Advocate Coach, r.a.d. continues to serve at their highest good to raise awareness, educate, and erase stigma related to invisible conditions such as traumatic brain injury, menopause, and PTSD.

I am grateful to find innovative ways to heal from ancestral trauma via healing arts in water-craft building and dream power paddle-making. Enunja Ti Tatinmiji Hataji (Baby Girl with a Rainbow in her Heart) is re-discovering all of her-selves, hers-elves to be a queen, Reyna DauDian, and to be comfortable with her power, her gifts, her love, her authentic beauty; A Place of Her Own 2020 gave the building blocks via deep chakra work.

It is a privilege to have a safe space to share about mTBI survivors with vision loss. I welcome providers who communicate their care with gentleness for folks with injured 24/7 working and tired brains.

r.a.d. developed immense self-confidence to love, trust, and express freely their authentic artistic self ~ a significant personal transformation like a premature butterfly’s painful crawl out of its cocoon to fly.

What’s surprising?
I get to play again! I surprised myself with each step towards healing as I became more at ease with being a r.a.d. woman with a disability; healing continues with each stitch.