You Are a Flower: Writing Through Trauma

"You Are a Flower" is a survivor-centered comic that uses art and narrative to explore self-expression, healing, and resilience in relation to trauma and abuse. Its creator is Vincy, a Chinese Canadian non-binary lesbian disabled award-winning cartoonist and multimedia illustrator. Vincy is a survivor of abuse, human trafficking, and attempted murder.

This comic book focuses on creative expression as a path to healing. The act of creating comics and zines is a form of power. Vincy's comics defy their abusers' attempts to silence them. By sharing the comic, Vincy also found a caring community and solidarity with other survivors.

Vincy reflects upon the freedom that comes with sharing our stories and hopes that their comic can inspire others to find healing through creative expression as well. While we write for ourselves, we never know whose lives will be touched and who will be able to resonate with the experience.

I didn't know what to do, so I wrote a comic. In that coming I wrote that I was brave. In that comic I could say anything I wanted, including the abuse, including all the things my abusers told me to be quiet about. It was the one place they could not silence me.

SOURCE: The Learning Network • AUTHOR: Vincy Lim • LAST UPDATED: January 1, 2025