HUMANS OF ŌTAUTAHI
Vanessa LINWOOD
empathy for each other; everyone can be “As a child, I was extremely self-reliant and celebrated for their differences. very responsible. I think I was very good at “I’ve always been an avid reader, always convincing myself that I just cope really well with things. It took me a while to realise I had loved painting and drawing and [I’ve] always loved fashion as well as characters, film, struggles with mental health because I think and storytelling. I really love acting and [there are] a lot of things we internalise as performing, as well. being normal at a younger age. It was a thing “I love vintage clothes and the pinup of feeling safe and approved in an upbringing community. Because I dress up – more often where there was domestic violence; there’s been a lot of forgiveness in my family which is than not – in my day to day life, people ask ‘what’s the occasion?’. I say, ‘my life’. You want really amazing. to get to a point where whatever you do with “Almost six years ago, my partner passed your life is an expression of being true to away; his passing was a huge painful thing yourself, because no matter what, you do you for me. He struggled a lot with addiction, can’t please everyone. he was an alcoholic, and there was a lot of “Over the past few years, I’ve gotten more judgement. There was a lot of love there, but there were also unhealthy dynamics that were into cosplay, I’ve hardly scratched the surface of all the characters I want to dress as. I really a challenge for both of us. I feel so thankful love Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman and Jessica for him and that relationship, what we went Rabbit; always loved the glamour of her. I through, it’s made me more self-aware and find that I’m drawn more to characters that compassionate as a person. are multi-layered. And they don’t have to be “I think creativity and self-expression is perfect, that’s a really important thing. a big part of healing. For me, creativity is “I think the things that define me would be almost an expression of the self and soul and helping people, creativity, and spirituality. the way you connect with other people. It’s Those three things are big parts of who I am.” such a great way to learn and grow and have facebook.com/humansofchch 60
