Our deepest wounds often shape us as much as our greatest joys. The pain we carry—and the ways we learn to move through it—can define who we become. We asked community members from a broad array of industries to reflect on their defining wounds and have shared the responses below.
Ali Brown Cranmer
One of the most defining challenges of my life was postpartum. People will tell you about the magical parts of becoming a mom, and they’ll prepare you for the sleepless nights and endless diapers, but what you don’t hear enough about is the mourning. You grieve your old life, your old self. You lose friendships you thought would always be there. Read more >>>
Daniel Childs
I think when you’re an artistic person, the ‘in crowd’ is not going to understand you. That was my case for the majority of my life. And if you look at great recording artists like Elvis Presley, Ed Sheeran, Justin Timberlake and many others – they weren’t exactly popular in school growing up. Read more >>>
Kate Hendrickson
After the shock of the October 7th attack began to settle, I found myself gripped by waves of anger, anxiety, and grief. I needed an outlet—some way to release emotions too heavy to carry in silence. Not long before, I had completed Revealed Faith, a body of work born from the comfort of openly embracing my Judaism. Read more >>>
Leslie Joy Ickowitz
Two Things: A botched tonsillectomy during my senior year of high school, which derailed every part of my life and even affected my fundamental being in the aftermath. Read more >>>
