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Jamie

Mother, wife, sister, daughter, high school counselor. 

“I feel most alive when I’m outside in nature with the sun hitting my face and when my son and daughter are laughing. The best and worst day of my life was when I was hospitalized with organ failure in an inpatient psychiatric unit when I was 14 years old. It kick started my long battle against anorexia and later on in college, bulimia. I’ve been in two eating disorder treatment centers and it took me over ten years to finally consider myself fully recovered. Exercise is a big part of my life now, but for all the right reasons and because I love feeling strong. I grew up knowing my grandfather had died by suicide and five years ago on Christmas Eve my brother died by suicide. Three years ago right after my son was born, my dad, who was always my best friend but is an alcoholic, disappeared overnight and has been “missing” since. He ended up in a hospital in Florida recently, and we were contacted and told he has max 6 months to live as he is now in end stage heart failure. One of my biggest emotional insecurities is admitting just how much I miss him. I don’t want anyone to think I’m weak, ever. I would tell a 12 year old me that what I’m about to deal with in life is not my fault, and that it will prepare me so much for tough things in the future and help me to build resiliency. To me, beauty is kindness. I’m self conscious about sometimes being socially awkward and an introvert. It’s been challenging figuring out who I am outside of the years of trauma and I’m still working to write my new story. I am most afraid of relapsing or having my family’s mental health genetics passed down to my son or daughter. I am most proud of the life I have built. In 10 years, I hope to still be as happy and healthy as I am today. I am Jamie. I am powerful, I am strong, I am resilient.”

Jamie

Kristie Dean, Jamie, 2022. Digital Photograph. ©Kristie Dean. All rights reserved.

Kristie Dean & Denisha Fisher

artist website

@thesoulprojectstories
@DeFi__Studios

Kristie Dean (Photography)

Kristie is a professional photographer and mom of three from Stoughton, MA. She followed in the footsteps of her father and older brother, both long-time commercial photographers, and established her own photo business after graduating from Suffolk University in 2010. As a busy, working Mom with two-under-two, Kristie found herself feeling disconnected and lost. She found her purpose when she merged her passions for photography and storytelling to address the pressure and expectations placed on women by social media and society at every stage of their lives. Her long running documentary project, Soul Stories, began with the regular sharing of stories and portraits of everyday women as an intentional way to give other women support and hope. She is currently the director of the Soul Project, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization which encompasses Soul Stories as well as provides additional services and support to women of all ages in the Massachusetts area. She is currently pursuing a masters degree in Positive Psychology and most importantly, raising her three young daughters Sunny, Penelope and Coco.

Denisha Fisher (Graphic Design)

Denisha is the current Graphic Designer for the Massachusetts General Hospital Photography Lab. Born in Boston, MA and raised in Springfield, MA, Denisha considers herself an applied artist, merging aesthetics and commercial practicality to educate her audience. She graduated Lesley University in 2021 with a degree in graphic design and minor in photography. She joined MGH in May 2022, interested in using her skills to communicate complex issues and topics from healthcare workers to the public in a more accessible way. She is currently working to build her social presence to pursue a career in teaching and promoting financial literacy.

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