Photo taken by contributor Carrie Hilgert, a photographer, painter, and healer from Northeast Kansas. Carrie is on an evolving journey. In her past, she was affected by chronic physical and mental illnesses, including depression. Photography, especially self-portraiture, was a tool that helped her throughout those challenging times, and allowed her to process her dark feelings. Carrie believes that her experiences with mental illness were a catalyst for her to discover her creative and spiritual gifts. She is now on a positive journey of wonder and change, using those gifts to help others.

About this photo: “I. Am. So. Fucking. Grateful. For you, brave soul, who showers me with love and light and says just the thing I need to hear to help me out of my shell when I needed it. 

Tribes are so important. I’ve had to leave or have been rejected from a couple different tribes in my life. It wounded me. But I started to open, to wake up and decided I’d start my own damn tribe. One where everyone was welcome. One where we held each other up and loved each other for who we are deep down.”

Find more from Carrie at her website & don’t miss her Mental Health Month video!

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