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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! :)
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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
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
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
Hard Decisions = Easier Life
As counterintuitive as it sounds, the more I chased comfort and an easy life, the harder my life got. Making hard decisions, on the other hand, like pushing myself outside of my comfort zone; exercising when I didn’t want to exercise; facing the emotional pain instead of numbing it; uprooting my life by leaving a person, job, or situation that I knew wasn’t healthy — are what have actually led me to living a much easier life. Meme by @VisuallyNeeded
Amy Frank
Apr 101 min read
I Was In The Wrong
Sometimes the problem is me. A major part of my healing journey has been in looking at my own toxic traits. An example of this is I grew up dealing with conflict by avoiding and fawning. I never realized how harmful it was to be on the receiving end of these behaviours until I started doing a deep dive into my life, looking at what roles I’ve played in the downfall of my past romantic relationships. The deeper I dove, the more I discovered it wasn’t only in romance that these
Amy Frank
Apr 78 min read
Happy 40th Birthday to Me!!! (Photos Through The Ages)
A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words (be sure to read the captions). Wow... What a journey it's been! I was born around 3:30am on April 3rd, 1986. Today is my 40th birthday. 40 years around the sun. ☀️ This is an extremely condensed photo series. I don’t know what my future holds but I’m looking forward to living it. 🫂📚💕 Photos: Amy Frank (1993 - 2026) Amy Frank — Age 7 or 8 (1993/1994) Amy Frank — Age 8 or 9 (1994/1995) Amy Frank — Age 9 or 10 (1995/1996) Amy Age 9 or 10 (
Amy Frank
Apr 310 min read
Best Life Advice I’ve Received (So Far)…
This is among some the greatest life advice I’ve ever received: To embody what I seek. I first learned of this concept in dating. If I wanted to date someone who had X, Y, Z — whatever qualities I was seeking — then I also needed to embody those traits. It’s been an empowering approach as the more I’ve embodied what I initially sought externally, I’ve ended up filling my own needs. I no longer outsource my happiness or worth. As a recovering addict, this has been a powerful s
Amy Frank
Mar 101 min read
Lessons in Love
This is to the younger women out there (or really to any woman and person as these wounds aren't gender based). Please learn from my mistakes so you don't have to go through the same pains that I have: If someone exhibits traits of severe jealousy, including monitoring behaviours and accusations; if you set physical boundaries about how much time you'd like to pass before you're ready to engage in sexual relations and they push back: Run. Any person that truly values you will
Amy Frank
Mar 52 min read
Where My Value Lives
Cultivating self-love, self-respect, and self-worth has been such an empowering part of my journey. I've learned that the more my value stems from within, the less impactful the opinions and judgments of others feel. I'm not immune to them of course. We are a communal species and to some degree I feel it's important I care how my words and actions impact others, especially those I love; yet I can also face rejection, feedback, and criticism now better than I could before beca
Amy Frank
Feb 102 min read
2026 Dating Checklist (Shared Values)
It can be scary to ask somebody out on a date, especially if you really like or admire that person. It can feel vulnerable to expose one’s feelings in that way, particularly for men who, societally, have often been disconnected from their feelings since childhood. The possibility of rejection can feel intimidating—even for the most confident among us. Because of this, I’ve decided to create a checklist. Here’s a quick way to find out whether or not we’re compatible, before yo
Amy Frank
Feb 82 min read
Re-Parenting my Inner Child
Re-Parenting my Inner Child (this is how I embrace my demons) I love you, Little Amy. I see you protecting us. Thank you for this anger. I hear you, little one. You don’t feel safe right now; you feel betrayed by a friend you loved. In turn, you feel you betrayed yourself. For so long you saw and ignored the back-handed compliments and insults disguised as jokes, then you let yourself believe that they were right: That your hard-earned self-love and respect was wrong. I know
Amy Frank
Oct 29, 20251 min read
The Painful Truth Of Healing
Meme Creator/Artist Unknown When you sober up you have to stop hanging out with your drinking buddies. This is not because you’re better than them. The longer you remain sober while they continue to use, the further apart you’ll grow as the things that once connected you don’t anymore. I saw a great quote recently that said: “Don’t hate those who feel envious of you. They think you’re better than them.” ~Unknown In that place of insecurity we sometimes project that someone th
Amy Frank
Oct 24, 20254 min read
Lessons Learned (past two years — Romance and Healing)
Facebook Memory (October 12, 2023): “F*cking broken. Deceived. Used. Sobbing. But I’m still standing. Ain’t nothing gonna take me off this path of healing. I have worked so hard to be where I am. I’m not going back. Here’s to the broken hearted. To the one’s who continue to give love even when they only receive pain in return. I feel you. I see you. I am you. Much love 🫂💔” — Sometimes the memories that come up on Facebook are painful while other times the lack of pain shows
Amy Frank
Oct 12, 20252 min read
The Return of the King
Yesterday as I was walking to a workshop I’m partaking in, I stopped to take my sweater off as I was overheating (I power walk). I always...
Amy Frank
Sep 6, 20254 min read
Recovery Time (September 2025)
The first week of September has become a monumental week in my mental illness and addiction recovery. On September 1st, 2025, I reached 3...
Amy Frank
Sep 4, 20251 min read
This Is How We Change The World
This Blog was started on Saturday, August 16, 2025: I seem to have caught a bug… 🤒 My father says I need to let it go, to “set that bug...
Amy Frank
Aug 22, 20259 min read
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