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Julia by mes

@juliabymes

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🎨 Post-Traumatic Art
💙 My art tells stories of identities, trauma & healing
👇 Discover: newsletter, bio, portfolio, shop

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Welcome. I'm Julia by mes.

I am an artist creating from my lived experience of DID, exploring identities, trauma, and healing.

Some posts are quiet reflections. Some are works in progress. Some are playful. Some introduce long-term projects that take me many months.

My hope is simple: to create art that helps make invisible experiences visible.

Whether you're here because of lived experience or because you're simply curious about the work, I'm glad you're here.

#MentalHealthArt #LivedExperienceArt #DIDCommunity #TraumaArt #ContemporaryArtist by @juliabymes

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2 months ago

I only send my newsletter four times a year. 💌

It’s a way for me to pause and look back at the last quarter, what I made, what I learned, and what stayed with me. I also share what I’m currently working on and what’s coming next. It’s more behind the scenes than Instagram, a bit slower, a bit deeper. And yes, it’s also where I share practical updates, like upcoming print releases or sales.

If you enjoy following my work here and want a quieter, more in-depth way to stay connected, you can sign up for my quarterly newsletter. ➡️ 📬 ❤️

#ArtistNewsletter #BehindTheScenesArt #SlowArtPractice #IndependentArtistLife #PostTraumaticPopArt by @juliabymes

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9 months ago

We are beginning a year-long art journal project.
Oliver is working through the 54-card Post Traumatic Growth Deck by @arielleschwartzboulder which loosely follows the hero’s journey of healing.

Oliver began this journey by creating one drawing for each card. There is a second journal for everyone else to write what arises for them while the journey unfolds.

The drawings are intentionally simple. Wooden colored pencil. No performance. No polish. Just process. That’s how Oliver creates.

I’ll share one card per week as a small two-slide reflection.

This project holds lived experience of dissociative identities, early childhood relational trauma, and complex inner systems. If you’re here for that, you are so very welcome.

If you choose to respond, please do so with care. Oliver deserves our respect.

#DissociationAwareness #ComplexPTSD #DIDSystem #TraumaHealingJourney #LivedExperienceArt by @juliabymes

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8 months ago

What if it is safe enough to relax?

To allow yourself to be held, and to trust the system and the world just a little longer than you usually do?

“What if?”, alcohol marker and fineliner on paper 6.25 × 6.25 in

#LivedExperienceArt #DIDArt #ComplexTrauma #SafeEnough #MentalHealthArt by @juliabymes

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2 days ago

Healing Spaghetti was a participatory performance art piece we created for World Mental Health Day.

Healing can feel like throwing spaghetti at a wall: trying different things without knowing what will stick, for how long, or whether it will still work tomorrow.

We wanted to make that experience visible, and invite others to throw some spaghetti with us.

Thank you to everyone who joined us. The digital wall label in my bio has more about the project and the artists.

Team Healing Spaghetti
Performing Artists: @thejunkbrew @kinaink @godbroccoliart @juliabymes
Filmmaker: @marsoliloquy
Gallery: @highhorsegalerieetateliers

#HealingSpaghetti #PerformanceArt #WorldMentalHealthDay #OttawaArtists #KeepTryingSeeWhatSticks by @juliabymes

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4 days ago

Card 31: No Mud No Lotus

I struggle with this one. It sounds a lot like “no pain, no gain.” And we don't believe in that one either.

Some parts of us have been suffering for a very long time. Being told that we just need to be okay with going through the mud so that something beautiful can grow out of it feels less like wisdom and more like another promise that suffering will eventually be worth it.

We have heard promises before. And promises like this can become manipulation dressed up as hope. So no. We don't need to become mud-compliant.

Healing isn't about learning to embrace the mud. Healing means helping the parts who have been stuck there for far too long get out. An internal team effort.

Oliver is currently on card 31 of this 54-card journey. Card prompts are from the Post Traumatic Growth Card Deck by @arielleschwartzboulder

#DIDCommunity #OSDD #PluralVoices #ComplexTrauma #LivedExperienceArt by @juliabymes

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6 days ago

We did it! ❤️‍🩹🍝

@kinaink @godbroccoliart @thejunkbrew @marsoliloquy
@highhorsegalerieetateliers

#HealingSpaghetti #WorldMentalHealthDay #PerformanceArt #KeepTryingSeeWhatSticks #HealingThroughArt by @juliabymes

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6 days ago

Sometimes healing feels a lot like throwing spaghetti at a wall: trying different things without knowing what will stick, for how long, or whether it will still work tomorrow.

We’ve turned that feeling into a short, participatory performance. We’ll start by throwing the spaghetti ourselves, and then invite the audience to join us.

📅 Saturday, October 10 · 2 PM
📍 High Horse Galerie & Ateliers, 1010 Polytek St, 23, Ottawa @highhorsegalerieetateliers
🎟️ Free · Everyone welcome

I’d love to see you there. Come watch. Bring a friend. And throw some spaghetti.

Performing artists: @thejunkbrew @kinaink @godbroccoliart @juliabymes
Filmmaker: @marsoliloquy

#WorldMentalHealthDay #OttawaArtists #Performance Art #HealingJourney #KeepTryingSeeWhatSticks by @juliabymes

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9 days ago

Apparently this is what art administration looks like at 6-something in the morning for me ...

I went to check out the venue for Healing Spaghetti.

Yes, I was still wearing my nighty. And yes, I obviously wear it over PJ pants. Who doesn’t?

❤️‍🩹🍝 Healing Spaghetti · Performance Art
📅October 10 · 2 PM
📍High Horse Galerie & Ateliers, Ottawa @highhorsegalerieetateliers
🎟️ Free · Everyone

#BehindTheScenes #ArtistLife #EarlyMorningAdventures #HealingSpaghetti #KeepTryingSeeWhatSticks by @juliabymes

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10 days ago

Healing Spaghetti · Performance Art

📅 Saturday, October 10 · 2 PM
📍 High Horse Galerie & Ateliers 1010 Polytek St, 23, Ottawa @highhorsegalerieetateliers
🎟️ Free · Everyone welcome

🎨 Poster designed by @thejunkbrew

@kinaink @godbroccoliart @marsoliloquy

#PerformanceArt #OttawaArt #OttawaIsNotBoring #WorldMentalHealthDay #KeepTryingSeeWhatSticks by @juliabymes

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11 days ago

It's becoming real. Only 5 more days to go. 4 Ottawa artists. 1 local filmmaker. And a ridiculous amount of spaghetti.

Healing Spaghetti is a short, participatory performance exploring what it can feel like to try different things in the hope that something will help, without knowing what will stick, for how long, or whether it will still work tomorrow.

📅 October 10 · 2 PM
📍 High Horse Galerie & Ateliers, 1010 Polytek St, 23, Gloucester/Ottawa @highhorsegalerieetateliers
🎟️ Free · Everyone welcome

Performing artists: @thejunkbrew @kinaink @godbroccoliart @juliabymes
Filmmaker @marsoliloquy

Come watch. And throw some spaghetti.

#HealingSpaghetti #PerformanceArt #WorldMentalHealthDay #OttawaArtists #KeepTryingSeeWhatSticks by @juliabymes

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12 days ago

Card 30: Shadow Work

Shadow work can sound like we need to fix the dark parts of ourselves. But is the shadow the actual problem? A shadow exists because something is blocking the light.

In a dissociative system, that “something” might be fear, shame, protection, old beliefs, or experiences that made certain parts of ourselves difficult or unsafe to see. There likely isn’t just one shadow and not just one “something”.

This work isn't about fighting the shadows. It's about becoming curious about what is creating them. What is blocking the light? The shadows aren’t our enemies. They can show us what blocks the light.

Oliver is currently on card 30 of this 54-card journey. Card prompts are from the Post Traumatic Growth Card Deck by @arielleschwartzboulder

#DissociativeIdentityDisorder #TraumaHealing #CPTSD #MentalHealthArt #PartsWork by @juliabymes

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13 days ago