top of page
The Prairie Meadow
Trip(s)
Trip(s)
2002 - Age 16
2002 - Age 16
2002 - Age 16
2002 - Age 16
Ollie and Coda
Ollie and Coda
Simon
Simon
The Tree of Music
BLOG
My Blog consists of many recent entries (poetry, advocacy) as well as old writing pieces (poetry, short stories, and writing snippets).
I began to write poetry at the age of 14, to express my inner struggles. I wrote poems about beautiful magical places as well as dark pieces about depression and suicide.
I still write nearly every day as a healthy outlet for my emotions. In time, I hope to give all of these blogs context, weaving them together in a linear fashion so they make more sense! :)
Search
Amy's Journals (2000 - Current)
I have kept sketchbooks since I was three years old while my written journals start at age 14. My journals tend to be scrapbooks, their...
Amy Frank
May 23, 20252 min read
Why I Didn’t Apply for the 2025 or 2026 Art Gallery Paint-In
I’ve been experiencing unresolved conflict with the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria since 2024. In 2023, The Island Illustrators Society reached out to me. After 30 years of operation they had decided to close their doors. Knowing the society would soon dissolve, the society itself and two of its long standing members offered to use the remaining funds to help me put on an art show. They felt my story and work needed to be seen. With their help and guidance I applied to a gal
Amy Frank
Aug 2016 min read
Behind the Body
I saw my old friend Brandon yesterday. I’ve known Brandon since I was 14 and he was 17. I hadn’t seen him in several years. For those of you who know my story, you can imagine the changes people who’ve known me my whole life (or nearly my whole life) have seen—especially those I only see once a year or less. I see myself in the mirror everyday where for those who don’t, the physical changes are drastic. Brandon joked, when I saw him, that I needed to become an Instagram fitne
Amy Frank
Aug 132 min read
When The Raccoon Became A Mirror
This blog was based on a comment thread that took place on Facebook. Sometimes I use a laughing emoji to lighten the mood or indicate a dry or awkward laugh—not always because I think something is an “lol 😂 hilarious!!! 🤣🤣🤣” type of funny. A recent example of this was in a comment I replied to where I stated that I would trust a raccoon to eat out of the trash bin—not because it wasn’t trustworthy but because that’s its nature (as it is for any being in survival mode). Or
Amy Frank
Aug 12 min read
Four Years Abstinent from Marijuana
Today, I'm 4 years abstinent from marijuana. What a journey! I used marijuana a lot throughout my youth. It, amongst other substances, twisted my perception, twisting my art in turn. However, it also made me socially anxious and paranoid. I didn’t use it much in my 20’s. It wasn't until my early 30's that I got into it again. Instead of fear, a magical and beautiful world began to unfold... I approached my usage like a spiritual journey, asking Mother Marijuana for guidance.
Amy Frank
Jul 214 min read
Amy Is Feeling Scared
This blog was inspired by this post that came up in today’s Facebook memories from July 11, 2017: Amy Frank-Artist is 😨 feeling scared “I've been on a medication called Abilify for a while, and in the last eight months I've started to develop Parkinson's like symptoms. My psychiatrist has done some neurological exams and has assessed that it's not Parkinson's, but a side-effect of the Abilify (which can become permanent). He has started to wean me off of it. Unfortunately an
Amy Frank
Jul 117 min read
What Waits Within
When I was at the beach yesterday, I found this “stone”. I couldn’t figure out if it were actually a stone, however, so last night as I lay in bed winding down, I began researching it. I believe it’s terracotta. Terracotta is a clay, so originally it would have come from the earth and then a human would have collected it, shaped it, and fired it. Terracotta, which is Italian for “baked earth” can be fired at a relatively low temperature compared to other ceramics. Historicall
Amy Frank
Jul 62 min read
What We Do With Our Pain
“The moment someone starts making you feel something you don’t like, you start blaming them for it.” (A quote from Silvia Pohrib, the creator of the video this blog was inspired by) Link To The Video: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1DEniY4m37/?mibextid=wwXIfr This is how many triggers work. In this example, Frollo feels aroused by Esmeralda’s sensuality and he doesn’t like that. It feels immoral so he goes on to demonize Esmeralda because the feelings and sensations that he
Amy Frank
Jul 35 min read
Why I Burned Those Bridges
A while ago I met a beautiful woman. She had a heart of gold as well, beneath her physical beauty. And, she also had a lot of pain. I quickly learned the relationship wasn’t safe as my words were frequently being filtered through her wounds. She tried to like me but deep down she didn’t and I could feel that. My presence triggered her. Her smiles felt forced and her friendliness carried an air of insincerity. And she really did try to like me. I felt her effort. One day she s
Amy Frank
Jun 292 min read
The Kind of Love I Seek
“I want a provider, a protector, and a leader — a dominant man. Emotional maturity and effective communication. I want mental stability. I want to be nurtured — cherished. I want self-awareness, healthy obsession, and safety. A man who willingly chooses me every time, every day, as I do him. I want devotion. I want reverence. I want love rooted in respect, trust, and mutuality. I want the Wolf.” ~An adaptation by Amy Frank. Original Author Unknown. Image by ChatGPT
Amy Frank
Jun 291 min read
How I Got To Where I Am Now
The post being shared with this blog (which is at the bottom of this page) is about romance, however I feel it can be applied to other close relationships as well. 🌱🌦️ Someone recently asked me what I did to be where I am in my recovery. I replied: “I shifted my mindset. I stopped looking at my diagnosis of bipolar disorder as the result of brain chemistry and started looking at what was going on in my life leading up to those experiences and episodes. I no longer view my a
Amy Frank
Jun 254 min read
ChatGPT Explained My Sense Of Humour Better Than I Could
I asked ChatGPT: “I find it funny that I have such a dry (deadpan) sense of humour because I don’t enjoy sarcasm and the two seem like cousins. To me sarcasm often comes off as passive-aggression. It’s something cruel, that often holds a grain of truth, being guised as a joke. It’s laughing at someone else’s expense. Yet, I have an incredibly dry sense of humour, which understandably isn’t for everyone. Why is this?” Chat said: “That’s actually less contradictory than it seem
Amy Frank
Jun 177 min read
There Are Many Paths To The Top Of The Mountain
“We often treat addiction as a simple lack of willpower, but it is more accurately described as a hunger for the infinite. Carl Jung famously noted that all addictions are a low level search for god. Jung was the Swiss psychiatrist who broke away from Freud to explore the deeper, mystical layers of the human mind. He lived a life deeply immersed in the study of alchemy, dreams, and the collective unconscious. He believed that the human soul has a natural drive toward wholenes
Amy Frank
Jun 43 min read
But I’ll Be Back, Love …With Help.
This was an Art As Therapy piece I created in 2020. It was inspired by my friend Nicole (Rest In Peace. May 29, 1983 - September 5, 2021). It’s heartbreaking to me that so many I love are no longer here, yet I still am. There were times when Nicole’s addictions were so bad that I had to cut her out of my life for my own safety and protection (though we’d always reconnect as soon as she was back in recovery. ❤️) I couldn’t save you, Nicole, and I’m sorry for that. Unfortunatel
Amy Frank
May 302 min read
A little jog down memory lane…
I know it’s hard for some to imagine, but for many years I experienced agoraphobia (the fear of leaving my home). For the longest time Facebook kept me connected to the world and to others. When Covid hit in 2020, the world finally became accessible. It was awesome. Suddenly I could attend programs and talk to so many more people because everything moved online. It’s only been in the last few years that I’ve grown into myself and come out of my shell, although I’m still timid
Amy Frank
May 281 min read
Amy Frank
May 280 min read
Through The Eyes Of A Child: Returning To Wonderland
I love that this meme was created/shared by a page called “Falling In Love With Yourself”. Having an exploration buddy is certainly the dream — road trips, ghost towns, hikes, neat little coves, rivers, and caves (British Columbia Canada is a BEAUTIFUL place 😍) yet I’ve learned that I’ve gotta make my own life an adventure in the meantime, even if it’s just exploring the city streets (not driving has its downfalls 😕). Every day that I leave my house is an opportunity for ma
Amy Frank
May 193 min read
How To Escape The Matrix (Poetry)
We, as a species, can do the most beautiful things yet in a state of survival, we instigate pain. Selfishness and greed become the new reign. Control is the currency not what’s in the bank. Money keeps the people in place. When fear, hate, and division are the name of the game, freedom occurs when we see we’re the same. Yes, diversity is a much needed thing, yet we’re leaning too far only one way… It looks like we’re different but we’re actually the same. The frame of a bird
Amy Frank
May 151 min read
Healing Sexual Trauma in Male Dominated Spaces
I just had a phenomenal workout at the new downtown YMCA location. I mustered up the courage to inquire about some of their machines as I noticed not every machine I used to work out on is still there. They explained that it’s a smaller space so not every machine and piece of equipment was able to be included in the new facility. They provided me with a personal trainer instead, to take me around and show me different machines/workouts that could provide the same benefit. It
Amy Frank
May 152 min read
The Legends of the Weevils
Before I got in the shower this morning, I spotted a weevil on its back, kicking its legs into the air. I was going to flip it over but I’d seen this behaviour in them before. I thought maybe it was scratching its back (or who knows) so I left it and had my shower. I got out quite a while later and the weevil was still there, still flailing its legs into the air. Considering how long the lifespan of a weevil is, I thought it had been there for quite a while so I intervened, g
Amy Frank
May 121 min read
Could You Love Me Like This?
A friend recently gave me a compliment on my Star Trek uniform, saying I looked sexy. I replied, thanking her, while also sharing that beneath my form fitting clothing I have cellulite, stretch marks, and loose skin from years of gaining weight and then losing it. Another friend piped in saying I wasn’t giving myself a very good sales pitch. I find it fascinating how easily I can see beauty in the so-called ‘imperfections’ of others, yet I struggle to extend that same grace t
Amy Frank
May 112 min read
On Chivalry, Trauma, and Trust
As I was walking home tonight, I was pondering the concept of “old fashioned” romance, or chivalry. I, personally, am a fan. For me, it aligns with my ideal relationship. In the past, I was codependent. I was a damsel in distress, meek and timid. I was a shell of a human being after years of trauma. When I left my fiancé in January of 2020 (my last long term serious relationship), I didn’t know who I was. I didn’t know what my interests were. I didn’t have any life skills. I
Amy Frank
May 92 min read
The Gift of Shame
Our society seems to enjoy categorizing emotions as higher or lower vibration—good and bad. Shame is one that often seems to get a bad rap. For me, shame has been one of the most powerful building blocks. The shame and embarrassment of what I did when I was very unwell with my mental health and addictions became a catalyst for change because it forced me to look in the mirror and decide that I never wanted to act like that again. It was humbling. It broke me. And, it made me
Amy Frank
May 12 min read
A Small Act of Self-Love
I went and saw this movie at the IMAX tonight. It was a last minute decision on my part that ended up being the exact nourishment I needed. Being in the field of mental health and addictions right now, especially when I don’t get paid for the work I do, nor do I have a professional team I get to turn to and lean on for support, is exhausting. In the last two years, I’ve repeatedly found myself ready to throw in the towel on my advocacy. This is obviously a passion project for
Amy Frank
Apr 232 min read
bottom of page