Name
Raven Reid

Age Group (If you are a caregiver/family member please check Caregiver/Family Member)
Caregiver/Family Member

Category
Drawing/Painting/Printmaking/Chalk Art

Artist Statement (include type of art, techniques & materials used, what it means to you)
I painted this bc I deal with mental health issues I’ve had since I was a child. It’s painted on Mayfair paper with acrylic paint. It’s called Waiting For The Light

Bio (include your age, tumor type and date of diagnosis)
I’m 46 now but was only 6 years old when we found out my baby sister had a brain tumour. She lived a long life of having severe health issues and passed away in 2019.
I’ve been an artist all my life as well as a writer, musician and public speaker. I was born in Yellowknife and adopted at age 4. I started painting and writing short stories at the age of 6. I use art and music as a way to cope with the harsh world. The adopted mother we had was very mentally ill and abused myself and my two younger sisters terribly and for years. I basically raised my sisters, one of who, was terminally disabled. I made sure we all went to school, dressed, ate and cleaned up. I gave my little sister her meds, took her to appointments as I grew older. Our father travelled for work a lot so it was me raising my sisters and trying to defend us from our mother.
Art helped me survive these dark times and still does to this day.