Check out this interview by @TheCheckInTwins.
This interview happened LIVE during Share Your Soul LLC's Semi-Silent Disco Pop-Up Gallery on Fri. Oct. 21st at Co-Balt Workspace in Baltimore, MD.
This event, "Share Your Soul", exhibited 20+ local DMV artists and among all the talent, they spotlighted two powerful and passionate artists: Akio Evans and GabyNobody.
My part of the exhibit was titled "Rise and Thrive". As mentioned in the interview, my intention was to present new images, narratives, and stories of survivors of sexual abuse.
There was a time during my journey of healing where I thought I was alone in the experience of being violated, blamed, and shamed for it. It's sad that I was not alone in it. By the time you finish reading this article, more people will be sexually assaulted because it happens every 68 seconds to someone new. You can find more statistics regarding rape culture here: Victims of Sexual Violence: Statistics
"Truth is, yes I am a statistic and I am a survivor. I am also more than that, I am a success story. " -GabyNobody
Following my passion as an artist has helped me discover my purpose in this world as well as embrace what truly drives me. Art saved my life and I want to simply share the magical and healing elements that art brings forward.
Below is my draft video to raise money for the upcoming Rise and Thrive (Oct. 2023). It is, undeniably, an impactful art installation.
As mentioned in my interview, I somehow raised $800 to execute Rise and Thrive in under 4 weeks. Artists, tenants of venues, and workshop leaders were paid in full. Each survivor that modeled and participated in Rise and Thrive are also now owners of their own beautiful collection of their own powerful portraits. There have been times where I have been paid to speak my truth and share my talents and honestly, that's the most empowering experience. I want to offer that in a large scale.
As an artist and a human being, I am figuring things out, I am winging it, and now I am trusting it.
I plan to continue in this path where art fuels me, and the stories that come from my audience keeps me going. Through my art and my every day choices, I will continue to normalize conversations around trauma with intention.
The Rise and Thrive exhibit will happen again in Oct. 2023. If you have any questions, comments, and/or concerns please send an email to BeYouForYouNetwork@gmail.com. You can send an email if you yourself are a survivor, if you'd like to sponsor and/or donate to this cause, and you can also email if you just feel like it. Stay posted, more information soon to come.
Give Love. Receive Love. Be Love! -GabyNobody
To get to know each of the survivors that participated in Rise and Thrive 2022,
All profits go to Rise & Thrive 2023.
Email BeYouForYouNetwork@gmail.com to pre-order this $50 shirt.
All profits will go to Rise & Thrive 2023.
Thank you & Be Love.
My name is GabyNobody (Elevated Thoughts Activist & a Creative); I am the Head Honcho of The BeYouForYou Network & the artist liaison for The Comus Inn. As a survivor, my art focuses on depicting the journey of Healing & returning to self.
Through my journey of Healing, this website came to life. A platform for myself and an inner circle of friends and survivors to Create, Connect, and Evolve (together and as individuals).
Through the development of this website, my openness to dream big, my wild imagination, and the fire within me that never dies... the art that I create has led me to connect 1:1 with resilient and inspiring individuals I could have never imagined and opportunities for me to evolve and unbecome that sometimes leave me speechless, in awe, and absolutely humbly grateful.
Text your address to (301) 549-2916 to receive your fun-sized GabyNobody print.
All photography of Share Your Growth art pop-up taken by photographer Taylor Crawford (a.k.a. @pimpsoda); videography work done by Kishimedia & Gemini Vision Entertainment