The on-going unfolding's of The Rise & Thrive Experience.
The Rise & Thrive Experience is the execution of decades of work. This exhibit showcases a rich collection of empowering and beautiful portraits of Survivors of Sexual Abuse along with vibrant and original GabyNobody art. Witness our power.
Picture taken from el mirador de El EspÃritu de la Montaña by GabyNobody, Oct. 2023
The opening night of The Rise & Thrive Exhibit on Oct. 1, 2023 was fucking amazing, humbling, beautiful, unbelievable, eye-opening, revealing, and inspiring all at once.
Two days after such a huge event, I traveled to my home country. This trip back to the land where I, as a child, learned to tend to scrapes, burns, and knots was cathartic, affirming, liberating, heart-breaking, mystifying, and illuminating all at once.
Here are some highlights of the fucked up and beautiful journey.
Recap of The Rise & Thrive Exhibit Opening Night
What can I say? That night was amazing. People I have met throughout different chapters of my journey of healing showed up to witness Survivors of Sexual Abuse in a unique, vibrant, and raw way.
Here are some reviews shared with the artist:
"It gives me goosebumps to recognize that all these beautiful portraits are of people who have suffered such a violation. This installation is meant to shake things up" - attendee of the opening night of Oct. 1st
"Last year, The Rise & Thrive project started with 5 people in one room. It's crazy to see all of these people here today. It's amazing to see how much it's grown, how many people it's impacting, and I am just grateful to see so many people here today"- Kianna of Kianna.info
Having the opportunity to hear different people's experiences through my project fuels me in an incomparable way.
The fact that my commitment to healing and art has brought me to this point in my life, what a fucking privilege!
Event photos provided by Sharde of Share Your Soul Movement LLC.
After the Rise & Thrive Exhibit Opening Night:
My visit to my home country- El Salvador, Central American.
I wrapped up the opening night with remarks of my hopes and dreams of returning to where I grew up. The conversations consisted of happy memories I recalled running through the streets with childhood friends, and the love I received from neighbors. I remembered the village that it took to raise me there.
Painted during my trip to El Salvador.
Once in El Salvador, I was reunited with great aunts and uncles that loved me and disciplined me as I learned to pick myself back up when I fell. I once again hugged 3rd cousins that I played with marbles with growing up. I met their children for the first time and was amused by their quick clap-backs and animated story-telling skills.
El Salvador was filled with so much love, so much laughter, and so many confirmations.
Some of the hurtful things that came back to light during my visit: Misogyny is expected in my family and promoted by my older family members. Some that I looked up to rather go out of their way to make me a villain than to face the truths I refuse to sweep under the rug. Part of my struggle with self-worth roots from the dynamics in my family and the overall opinion of what a woman should be.
Example: Sitting in the dining table embracing the moment, I find myself invisible as two head-of-households discuss church, politics, and women. Witnessing my great-uncle and my abuelo transitioned from feeling gratitude for my place in this world to disappointment in one deep breath. "See... soldiers are just like women. If you treat a woman well, if you encourage her, uplift her, and show her that there's more for her in this world, what happens? She looks up and leaves you for another man. But if you treat her like shit, beat her, and keep her down, what happens? She never looks up and she never leaves you.", says my great-uncle. I look up from my meal and observe them in silence. They are making eye-contact. I am unsure if the pause was as long as it felt. I got up and left the room without a word.
Some beautiful things that came back to light during my visit: My family is a combination of loving individuals and very hurt souls. I am blessed to have had to opportunity to have a childhood on the same land my ancestors lived on. I am blessed to be connected with self and Spirit in a way that I can honor the land my ancestors died on. The people around me truly do love me, and they love me the best way they know how. The strength of my ancestors and our desire to elevate flows through me.
Example: I take advantage of the opportunity to visit my great-aunt, Tia Lita. For the five hours that we sit in her living room, she kisses my forehead, caresses my hand, and shows so much love through every breath she takes. Tia Lita helped raised me when I was a child. During my trip, we discuss my core personality, things I got into as a child, the wrong in the fact that my dad kidnapped me as a child, the effects it had on me and my birthmother, and the life that I have built for myself despite of that.
I am still recovering from the spiritual turbulence I experienced revisiting my home country. It was rough, it fucked me up, and yet... I am extremely grateful. Life is filled with layers of chaos and beauty.
If you'd like me to continue a conversation regarding what's shared here, contact me here.
My El Salvador trip confirmed the following:
I continue to be the same person I have always been: just, bold, loving, and empathetic.
Loving myself means setting boundaries to protect my peace and my sanity.
I am not the one to fuck with. My Spirit Court isn't one to fuck with.
Joy and sense of safety have a special place in my life.
These are confirmations I received through my trip. If these affirmations are something that you can relate to, feel free to use them as you would like.
How can you support The Rise & Thrive Experience provided by GabyNobody through The BeYouForYou Network?
First, breaking barriers through art in Rape & Sexual Abuse culture is something I have been executing since I was 14yrs old. I am passionate about normalizing conversations around trauma leading to celebrating success stories unfolding of survivors of sexual abuse.
Second, life is beautiful and abundant of love and bliss. Life can also be fucking hard for many reasons (most times simultaneously) which can include coping with trauma from sexual assault.
Finally, my name is GabyNobody. I am an Elevated Thoughts Activist and a Creative. As a survivor, my art focuses on depicting the journey of Healing and returning to Self. If you support this, you support a community of survivors committed to loving themselves, sharing their stories, and rising through their individual journey of healing.
You support by:
Taking care of yourself, your needs, and your dreams first and foremost.
Inviting friends to check out private tours of The Rise & Thrive Experience.
Donating directly to The Rise & Thrive Experience.
If you are searching for gifts for anyone and/or yourself, consider our virtual store.
Welp, that's that. Thank you kindly for taking your time to read this. Thank you for being.
Give Love. Receive Love. Be Love.